Retaking Summerheat Camp
by Stormikat
Summary: Petal, the leader of the Clan, is chased off of her territory by a band of rogues led by yellow tom cat called Sullen. Only six other cats escaped with her. Now they must reclaim their camp. Unfortunately, of the six 1 is a medcat the other a kit. ended
1. Allegiance of Summerheat

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Summery: Summerheat Camp is taken over by a group of rogues. The leader Petal is chased from her territory. Only six cats have fled with her. They try to find a new home and decide if they're willing to face the cats that ruined them. But there's only six of them, including a kit and a medicine cat, the odds aren't good. Petal decides they need reinforcements and they look for more cats to join them in their quest. On the way they discover new territory and the roots from which their Clan sprang. Finally they know it's time to return, but how much has the Clan changed? And is it in a bad way or actually improved in the care of the rogues?  
_

_Based off of the Warrior Series by Erin Hunter, but made up totally with cats of my own. Story features around Summerheat Camp in Tanglewood Forest introduced first in Hollyleaf's Challenge and Burning Darkly. You do not have to read those, but HC will help you understand how and by who this new Clan was created._

_Before I hear complaints on how the cats don't know what Summer is, I want to point out some of the original rogues were kittypets. They might have heard the word from their twolegs and told it the their new Clan. So that was the name I chose, don't argue with me. I will use the typical warrior season names for convenience._

_Warrior Code at the bottom.

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**Summerheat Camp**

**Leader** Petal-- red-brown she-cat with light gray spots

**Deputy** Bluelightning-- swift blue-silver tom

**Leafcats (medicine cats)**

Waterdrop--senior leafcat, silver gray tom with blue eyes

Dancingeyes-- brown, long-furred she-cat with fiery amber eyes  
_apprentice: Reed_

**Warriors**

Whitetoes-- dusty gray tabby tom with white toes and blaze over face

Lightberry-- brown she-cat with black spots

Snowfeather-- dark white she-cat with gray paws with green eyes

Cloverleaf-- dappled she-cat with a black spot resembling clover

Duststripe-- dusty brown tom with large stripes

Deadeye-- black tom with one milky white eye

Rednose-- white tom with a red muzzle and tail  
_apprentice: Gray_

Fishbelly-- gray short haired she-cat

Streampebble-- light gray she-cat with white chest

**Apprentices **

Reed-- small dark ginger tom with dark brown stripes and long legs

Gray-- silver she-cat with black patch

**Queens**

Lilyfern-- tortoiseshell she-cat with white stripe along back, mother of Duststripe's three kits: Frog (brown spotted gray tom), Fox (ginger tom with golden ears), and Bee (dark gray tom with black stripes)

Mousefoot-- gray tabby she-cat with light brown legs, mother of Rednose's two kits: Web (gray tom with white stripes) and Squeak (black she-cat with brown ears)

**Elders**

Clearecho-- white she-cat with blue eyes and brown chin

Desertfur-- large brown tom with large tufted ears and dark marks around eyes

**Cats outside the Clans**

**Rogues (the solitaries):**

**Leader** Sullen-- large eared yellow cat

Bark-- small tabby tom with dark stripes

Storm--thick furred gray she-cat

Claw-- black tom with long claws

Dapple-- tortoiseshell she-cat with brown spots

Pounce-- small silver-gray tabby she-cat

Night-- black tom

Dove-- large white cat with a light brown chest

Crookedclaw-- ginger tom, former Clan member

Ice-- white tom

Dan-- dark tabby tom, abandoned kittypet

Strike long furred black cat with white points

**Others:**

Duzie-- brown tabby she-cat

Mint-- gray tom with blue eyes

Tide-- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Lavender-- gray she-cat with violet-like colored fur

**Camp Warrior Code**

1 Warrior names are chosen by mentor after apprenticeship  
2 Leader gives up warrior name to become leader and serve the Clan  
3 Clan must be fed and protected first  
4 Before becoming deputy a cat must have had an apprentice  
5 Leader chooses deputy and deputy becomes leader after former leader dies or retires  
6 There must be two leafcats at all times  
7 Leafcats can have mates  
8 Do not harm another cat, Clan cat or not, unless they threaten kits or Clan safety  
9 Any cat is welcome into the Clan as long as the leader approves  
10 Guard Clan territory in patrols dawn, sunhigh, evening, and moonhigh to defend Clan from wild animals such as foxes and badgers and to warn of twoleg intrusions  
11 Kits are not allowed out of camp without warrior or queen escort  
12 No kit is allowed to go near Tanglewood Bog under any condition  
13 Do not hunt out of territory unless territory is no longer sufficient  
14 Trust in StarClan

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**On hold until next summer. . . .Alert this so you can get the rest!  
**


	2. Chapter 1: The Attack

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Here's a taste of what to expect. Thanks to my first three reviewers of the story: _VioletteRose, Anidori-Isilee, _and_ xxSnowfirexx

_They get Duststripe plushies!_

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**Part One: Greenleaf**

**Chapter 1**

After trekking for almost a week of hard traveling they made it to Summerheat Camp (otherwise known as SullenandBark Camp since the take over). They walked over the places they'd visited while on their run away from the Camp. Now as they went back, memories came with them. Bittersweet ones.

Cloverleaf and Lightberry led the way and Duststripe watched over his only son, Frog, now his apprentice. After they got into the territory, they hid underneath a large fern and watched the camp in the clearing below them. Cats moved in and out of the camp, unaware they were being watched.

"Do you think it'll work?" Lightberry asked Cloverleaf. Concern was on the older warrior's face.

"We did rub ourselves in their scent and it hasn't changed that much in a few moons," replied the leader of the group. Then she turned to face Duststripe and his son.

"Are you ready?" Cloverleaf asked.

Duststripe nodded. "I just won't let them see mine or Frog's faces. They might recognize us."

"Or not recognize you," Lightberry warned, pointing with her tail. "I'm sure they know all the members by now."

Duststripe nodded in agreement. Perhaps he should have thought of that before, then maybe he wouldn't have brought Frog with him. He turned away. When he was about to go down to the camp, Frog pounced on a mouse some ways off and killed it.

"Frog!" Duststripe growled in irritation. "You don't hunt on another's ground."

He stared at his son and apprentice who had gotten far away in such a short time. It was dangerous out there, what was he doing?

"But you said it used to be ours," the young brown spotted gray tom protested, crouching over his catch as if scared someone would take it.

Duststripe was about to say something more, when Cloverleaf meowed, "Let him eat it, Duststripe. You might as well have some strength when you go in there. You may need to fight to get out."

The two warriors shared a glance. With it, Cloverleaf assured him she'd save him if she had to. They didn't have many cats to waste.

Finally the dusty brown tom with large stripes nodded. Then he waited for his son to finish.

"I wonder how Lilyfern is," he murmured to himself, remembering his tortoiseshell mate he hadn't seen in three seasons.

"You'll see her today I'm sure," Lightberry meowed with a smile. "Maybe you can convince her to come with us."

Duststripe's eyes shown with hope. He wanted his little family to be together again. The moons away had been hard.

"I get to see Mother?" Frog asked happily, licking the blood from his muzzle. He left the bones behind him as he came toward his father.

"Oh, yes," Duststripe meowed, remembering the last time Frog had seen Lilyfern.

**_-Line-_**

Duststripe walked over to the leafcat's den. He was busy at the moment and so Duststripe set his little kit, Frog, down. The kit had started to open his eyes and speak and Duststripe was proud of his son. But Frog was sick now. Just enough so that Duststripe was worried. He knew he probably should have brought the leafcat to the nursery, but Duststripe had known Waterdrop busy and Dancingeyes and her apprentice Reed were out looking for herbs. So Duststripe brought his son over, leaving Lilyfern and the two other kits in the den with Mousefoot and her brood.

The leafcat's den was a grouping of bushes against a large boulder. It had good covering against sun, snow, and rain. Underneath the boulder and through another bush was where Waterdrop and Dancingeyes stored their herbs. Duststripe looked over at Waterdrop who was in that section of the den, sniffing through old herbs. He hoped the tom would hurry up.

While he waited, Duststripe heard another cat approaching. It was breathing heavily and the walk sounded awkward. He turned around to the entrance at saw Lightberry, a brown she-cat with black spots, pushing her way through the tunnel. She was limping on a twisted paw.

"I fell on some rocks," Lightberry explained when the leafcat turned to see who it was. He looked a bit irritated.

Waterdrop finally came over. He first examined Lightberry, gently nosing her twisted leg.

"Just sprained," Waterdrop meowed after a while.

Lightberry sighed in relief.

"Don't walk on it," the leafcat told her.

Next Waterdrop sniffed Frog. It took a while and when he was done, the gray tom turned his green eyes up accusingly at Duststripe.

"You shouldn't have taken him from the nest," the leafcat scolded. "He has a fever."

"I know," Duststripe meowed, suddenly realizing what a mousebrain he had been. "I acted before thinking," he admitted.

Lightberry laughed, "I thought you'd learned better after training. Didn't you listen to your mentor?"

Duststripe lowered his ears in embarrassment. He hadn't given much thought to dead Streaminglight in a long time. He'd become a warrior after trying to rescue her from that weasel. He managed to kill the long furred creature, but Streaminglight's neck was ripped out. She coughed out to Duststripe that she was proud of him and that she thought he was a warrior. Dustripe had dragged her limb body back to camp and Petal had given him his warrior name, using Streaminglight's choice.

Waterdrop was treating Frog with some plants, making the young kit swallow the crushed herb even though he kept turning his head away when a yowling scream shook the bushes of the leafcat's den. All the cats looked up and turned to the entrance wondering what was going on. Lightberry and Duststripe shared a worried glance.

Lightberry limped out to see what was happening and Duststripe followed her after one last look at Frog. He was still worried his son might not recover from the fever. When Duststripe got his head out from the den, his eyes met a swarm of cats running down the sloped part of the forest and into the shaded clearing of camp. In the front of the horde was a large eared, yellow cat. It was Sullen.

Sullen was a rogue, a solitary cat that didn't live in Summerheat Camp. He usually stalked the territory of the Camp cats and he fought with the warriors on many occasions usually because he thought they were infringing on his territory. The Clan had a joke about him. They decided that Sullen's mother hated her kits and named him Sullen because he was unwanted by her. Sullen even lived up to his name. He always had a frown on his face and his powerful shoulders were hunched over.

Sullen had a cat that was always following him around. It was a small tabby called Bark. Summerheat Camp wasn't certain if they were related or if Sullen ignored the tabby. Bark certainly just stayed around Sullen because the yellow cat could catch food and Bark had no luck when he tried.

Now it seemed as if Sullen had gathered all of the rogue cats in the area to make a raid on Summerheat Camp. Duststripe could spot many faces he recognized seeing on his patrols. There was Storm, Night, and even Crookedclaw, a former Clan mate of his. The ginger tom had been cast out of the Clan for actually taking kits into the Tanglewood Bog. The kits had died and Glide, the leader at the time, decided Crookedclaw was insane. He'd cast the ginger tom out and since then, Crookedclaw had been wandering the territory, a fearful reminder to many kits that they had to behave.

Sullen yelled out a command and the cats around him ran faster and surrounded the camp and the cats that had come out to see what was going on. Everyone in the camp stared wide eyed at the tide of fur. This couldn't be real.

"Summerheat Camp," called Petal, the Clan leader appearing from her den, "Attack!"

Of course Summerheat Camp was unprepared, not believing anyone would ever attack them, but because they were out of their dens they got ready to meet the attack. The cats grouped up and bared claws and teeth, bracing for the rush. The invaders came on and pounced on the defenders. The tussle was long and harsh. Many cats fell over and they rolled in the grassy clearing, kicking dust into the air. Shrieks filled the air with every slash and bite.

Duststripe stayed near the leafcat's den to protect his son. Lightberry fought next to him since she hadn't gotten very far on her sprained leg. Duststripe was also fighting to protect her. He glanced over in worry at her. She was holding her own but she kept leaning on her bad leg, wincing with every step. Her enemy took advantage of her wound and kept forcing her to stand on in, by attacking her from the opposite side.

As time went on, Duststripe, his claws in the thick fur of a gray she-cat, heard Sullen call out, "Petal, you have a choice, leave now or die."

Duststripe looked up and he saw the yellow tom had Petal underneath him, his paws on her shoulder and back claws on her belly. She struggled in pain and because she'd never give up and Duststripe tried to get to her to save her. He watched as other cats of the Clan attempted to as well. But they couldn't get there; the rogues had created a barrier, holding cats back. They hissed at the Clan.

"Do you want your Clan killed?" Sullen continued in a soft hiss. "I don't want to kill everyone. I want them alive, but you force them to die if you continue to fight!"

Petal seemed about to speak. The red-brown she-cat with light gray spots had stopped struggling and Duststripe knew she would give up. She didn't want her cats hurt. She was leader and had to do what was best for them. Duststripe wondered what would happen when Petal did give up. Would Sullen let her still be part of the Clan? Would he cast her out and force her to be a rogue cat like he and the others once were?

Then large brown tom attacked Sullen, jumping on him when he was least expecting it, forcing him from Petal. Duststripe recognized Desertfur, a cat who was getting old and had recently joined the elders. But no matter how old the tom was, he fought Sullen fiercely.

"Run, Petal," Desertfur yelled when he pulled his jaws off of Sullen's back. "Don't ever trust him!"

Petal obeyed the elder cat. She hurriedly got up from her stunned position on the ground and raced away. The rogue cats tried to stop her, but the Summerheat cats blocked their paths. Petal ignored them all, racing towards Duststripe.

He shoved off the gray she-cat who'd been holding onto him and cleared the way for Petal, pushing aside any cat that got in his way, Clan or rogue. Lightberry ran after Petal, making sure no one attacked from behind. Her limp looked worse. They raced into Waterdrop's den. He had been defending it from the entrance preventing any cat from coming in, but when the leader and the two others ran towards him, he went inside giving them space. There was a back entrance known only to him and he led them all out it into the forest away from the battle.

Duststripe stepped to the side as Petal followed Waterdrop. He had to find his son, Petal was in good paws now. Duststripe searched for his young gray and brown son. Frog was laying in some leaves, sleeping. Duststripe quickly raced over and picked up his son in his jaws.

A head blocked the entrance of the den and Duststripe looked up. It was one of the rogues. The black tom snarled at Duststripe and jumped to attack. Duststripe dodged him, letting the black tom slam into the boulder and ran for the place the three other cat had disappeared. The sound of renewed fighting came after Duststripe. He knew the Clan was back to defending its area, helping Petal get away. Though they might have lost their leader for now, they wouldn't lose their camp without more protest.

Duststripe found the broken branches of the escape tunnel and pushed his way into the forest. He ran, unaware of where he was going. He just had to get away. He couldn't even follow the scent of his leader or the others. Frog's scent was in his way. Duststripe's only goal was to get as far away from the camp he could and to safety. He didn't know what Sullen planned to do with the camp if he kept it, but Duststripe didn't want to be a part of it.

Soon Duststripe couldn't hear his pursuer and he slowed down. He placed his son on the ground and sniffed Frog. The little kit was still feverish and Duststripe had a feeling his son would die without Waterdrop or another leafcat. He had to find them. Maybe if he found Dancingeyes or Reed they'd help. They had avoided the fighting. They were still somewhere out here in the forest. But before long they'd go back to camp.

Duststripe looked around and tried to scent any other cat, but he could only smell the earth and some birds nearby. He could also hear the trickle of water from the small stream at the edge of the camp's known territory. It was one of the borders that they scent marked. The other borders were around the Tanglewood Bog, somewhere deep in the forest, and a large stream out on a field. The Clan hadn't ever gone very far from camp since their territory supported them just fine. It also managed to support the fifteen or so rogue cats that lived on their territory and off. There weren't any other Clans, not like the stories of some place around a large lake.

Duststripe didn't know where to start looking for his escaped Clan mates. He didn't know if Petal would leave the territory all together or hang around to see if her camp remained free from Sullen's rule. If he did remain leader of the camp, Petal would be in trouble. He and his rogues also knew every inch of the territory as well as any Clan cat. Petal couldn't hide that easily on the land. Sullen might want to track her down and prevent her from taking back her Clan. She was still the leader of the Summerheat Camp even if Sullen had chased her off. Her Clan had to remember that.

Duststripe sniffed his son once more and then licked his head. The kit squeaked, opening his foggy eyes to stare blurrily his father. Dustripe picked up Frog and started walking. Suddenly he wished Lilyfern was with him or that he'd left Frog with her. Duststripe quickly shook off the regrets. They wouldn't help him or his son. He had to find Petal, Lightberry, and Waterdrop. He had to get in contact with them and anyone else that had run away or hadn't been in the camp during the battle. He knew a few cats hadn't been there, the other leafcats and two or three warriors. Duststripe then had to find out what had happened in the camp and what Sullen would do if he'd taken over. Or if Petal would have the opportunity to go back and be leader again. But Duststripe had a bad feeling inside that Sullen wouldn't give up the Clan. He would be leader or nothing else. Duststripe wondered how Bluelightning, the deputy, would handle the situation. The silvery-blue tom was to be leader after Petal, but obviously with Sullen there, that wouldn't be possible.

Duststripe turned to go back into the territory. He hoped that the others were still there, waiting for contact from any cats. He didn't know what to do alone in strange territory. How would he be able to take care of his son all alone?

As he walked, he listened for any other cat. He suddenly knew he had to avoid all of them if he could. He didn't know if the camp cats would be working for Sullen now or if one of his rogues were looking for the missing cats. It was better if he didn't meet anyone else but Petal and the others who had escaped. Duststripe didn't want to go back to camp unless Petal was the leader. He didn't trust Sullen.

"Hey," Duststripe suddenly heard. He jumped and almost dropped Frog. The kit was too tired to squeak in protest.

Duststripe looked around, twitching his ears in fright. How had some one snuck up on him? What would they do now that they'd found him? Did they work for Sullen?

Finally he found the source. There was a cat staring down at him from a tree branch. He hadn't thought to look up and he hadn't thought another cat would be sitting around and not walking or running. He probably could have heard the movement in the greenleaf forest. He could have heard the crunch of paws on twigs and the brush of fur on the undergrowth. Up in a tree there was nothing unless the cat brushed some leaves.

Duststripe gulped, wondering if this cat would attack him. He stared up at it in worry.

"What's going on?" the other cat asked. "I heard fighting but when I went to camp to look nothing was going on. And then I saw Sullen on the Low Branch. I knew something was up, but no one was leaving camp."

Duststripe squinted trying to figure out who was up in the tree. The voice was familiar, but the shadows of the tree leaves was blocking the color of the cat's coat and he couldn't catch a scent of the feline.

"Come on, what's going on?" the cat hissed, impatient with the silence.

Duststripe hesitantly set down Frog. He really wanted to run, but if this was a Clan cat that he knew, then it could help him find Petal and the others.

"Who are you?" Duststripe quietly yelled up the tree.

"Can't you tell? It's Cloverleaf."

"Oh," Duststripe said. He knew who it was now. Cloverleaf was older than he was. He had started his apprentice training when she became a warrior. Cloverleaf was younger than Lightberry, but acted older.

"Sullen and the solitary cats attacked the camp," Duststripe explained to the older warrior. "He tried to make Petal give up her leadership, but Desertfur attacked him and Petal escaped. She, Lightberry, and Waterdrop left camp. I was following them, but I had to get my son."

"So that's why you're carrying him around," Cloverleaf meowed, trying to be quiet also now that she knew what was going on. "But you could have left him with your mate, unless she came along?" Cloverleaf asked hopefully.

"No," Duststripe meowed, suddenly scared for Lilyfern and their other kits. "Frog was in the leafcat's den, I had to rescue him and the rogues were chasing me."

"So where are Petal and the others going?"

"I don't know," Duststripe confessed. "I lost them. I don't know where they are."

Cloverleaf looked surprised and then she sighed. "Let's look for them then. I sure don't want to stick around for Sullen and his crew to find us."

She jumped out of the tree and then started walking away. Duststripe quickly picked up Frog and followed. He hoped that she would find the others and that she wasn't tricking him. He doubted that she was, but her story had some flaws. If she'd gone back camp to find out what was happening after hearing the battle why had she not seen Petal escaping? Why hadn't she been seen and captured? He was suspicious, but he had to trust her. She was a camp cat after all and he knew her.

"We'll start back at camp where you lost them," Cloverleaf whispered softly, carefully stepping over some bush that would have crinkled loudly if she brushed it. "We might be able to pick up their scent. If not, then we might have to throw ourselves at Sullen's mercy."

Duststripe glared at her. That he would never do. Petal was his leader. He would never abandon her. Cloverleaf caught the glare and quickly looked away. She continued over the undergrowth. Duststripe followed as quietly as he could, but it was awkward carrying young Frog in his mouth. His neck was starting to ache after all the carrying and he couldn't see where his paws were at.

Finally he gave up. He set down from and sighed, twisting his neck to relieve the pain. Cloverleaf stopped as well and looked at him in question. She was halfway between two ferns and it looked as if part of her was missing. The leaves' shadow still dappled down on her, making her almost invisible.

"Go on and find it," Duststripe told her. "You ll do better alone. They'll see two cats a lot easier. Just come back when you find the trail."

Cloverleaf nodded and hurried away. Duststripe meanwhile curled around his son. He could almost feel how weak the tom was getting. He needed food and medicine soon. Duststripe felt very guilty about bringing his son into this mess. He didn't want to kill his son, but if Frog didn't get a medicine cat, he would die.

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**Oh how sad, Frog might die, but since you saw him in the first part you know he lives! But what happens before that part? You just have to wait to find out.**

**Please review to tell me what you thought of this chapter!**

**Note: this was one story I've been waiting to do a long time. It's what got me to Fanfiction first because it was so similar to the Warrior series I realized I only had to tweak it a little to it would match! It's all in my head though so it hasn't been previously written down, sorry that it might take a while, but it will officially start next summer. If you have any questions please ask.**


	3. Chapter 2: The Bog

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_I got bored doing homework so I decided to put this up. Lucikly you only have one chapter to review. Seriously though, I am going to continue this later in the summer._

_Thanks to my reviewers:_ VioletteRose, Moonriver of AirClan, XXStarless NightXX (Snowfire), _and_ Anidori-Isilee

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**Chapter 2**

It felt to Duststripe like a whole day went by before Cloverleaf returned. The sun, already halfway past sun high, cast long shadows in the forest. Duststripe continued waiting for Cloverleaf. He lay wrapped around his son, awake. His ears twitching at every sound. The dark shadows hid the moments of small creatures and every rustle and squeak sent chills down Duststripe's spine. He was nervous another cat would find him or that a pair of foxes would come. He wouldn't be able to fight them off to protect Frog. His eyes scanned the undergrowth. Thick weeds piled around the trees and he couldn't see far. He breathed in deep. There was nothing unusual, just the stale scent of badgers and his Clanmates. Time moved slowly on.

A rustling noise alerted him first. His head swung around. The creature was trying to be quiet but whatever it was kept brushing against the bushes as its paws skimmed over the grass of the forest floor.

_Please be Cloverleaf_, Duststripe prayed.

He remained tense and started to stand as the sounds grew closer. A cat head poked out of the leaves. He almost jumped up to claw her but her dappled coat resolved itself into Cloverleaf before Duststripe could act on the impulse.

"There you are," she sighed.

She pulled herself from the bushes and faced Duststripe. The raised fur along her spine revealed how terrified she really was.

"You found them?" Duststripe asked, relief washing over him like a cold rain. The fear trickled away.

Cloverleaf nodded her head eagerly. "I followed their scent from camp. I met them. I told them you and I were all right. Petal was glad. Let's go." She didn't want to waste time just standing and talking.

Duststripe eagerly got up. The bark and leaves clinging to his fur dropped off. Petal was all right, so was everyone else. He was glad that they were expecting him. Now he didn't have to worry. Frog would be all right. So far the kit had been in a fevered daze since they'd left camp.

Cloverleaf turned around and started quickly walking away. Duststripe picked up Frog, who remained unmoving, and trotted after. They didn't speak at all as they moved on. Slowly the day slipped into evening, bathing the forest in an orange glow.

Duststripe followed not knowing where they went but trusted Cloverleaf. Then he slowly recognized the direction they were heading. As the grass underpaw slowly slipped from rocky to damp, Duststripe's apprehension grew, but Cloverleaf never stopped. Duststripe soon had enough.

He stopped, placing Frog down. Cloverleaf noticed and turned around.

"What?" she asked.

"Where are are going?" Duststripe asked sternly.

Cloverleaf's eyes flickerered. After a short pause she answered.

"The bog."

Duststripe's eyes widened as his fears were confirmed. Then his face hardened.

"We aren't going there," he growled.

"But they're waiting," Cloverleaf protested.

"I'm not going in the bog with my son."

Cloverleaf's face cleared with seeming understanding. "It will be all right. Petal said it was okay. You won't be breaking the code."

"May the code rot!" he snarled, his long tail puffing out. "I don't want to kill my son!"

Cloverleaf looked at him, surprised.

"If I drop him, he'll drown!"

Duststripe knew of places where the ground seemed solid, but once you placed paw on it, you never stopped sinking. Golden, his sister, had met her fate there seasons ago. Clan cats didn't go into the bog often because it was feared. Whenever cats died there, the Clan's fear was confirmed.

"You won't drop him," Cloverleaf whispered. "They aren't far and he needs Waterdrop."

Duststripe's anger subsided. He knew she was right. Frog needed Waterdrop. Duststripe would have to risk his son's life once more just to save it. He finally nodded, closing his eyes.

Cloverleaf turned away, her eyes downcast, and with a slower step, led the rest of the way. By now the forest had settled with the darkness. The prey were sleeping in their burrows even the wind had eased. There was no movement overhead in the dark leaves. The moonlight trickled down in the gaps of branches. Underpaw the leaves crunched and sharp stones were covered by moss and soon the ground became too wet even for that. Puddles of water appeared as their paws pressed down. The two cats brushed against the undergrowth. Gorse, brambles, ferns, and vines littered the ground. Few bright flowers stood upright, sending out sweet scent. The ground got wetter and the tree's thicker. Soon low branches crossed and wove above them. Sometimes their way was blocked and they had to duck under or jump over these branches.

Tall reeds started shooting up from deeper puddles of water. Many bent down with the weight of their thick tops. The ground became so saturated that whenever the cats stepped, the ground squelched. Frog's back and rump became muddy. Duststripe's neck ached as he tried to keep his son out of it.

"Follow closely," Cloverleaf meowed when they reached a very dense and wet area.

Duststripe nodded and tried to do as she instructed. He heard frogs croak in the back ground. They sounded loud in the dark almost like crickets in the field. He turned his eyes on his fellow warrior and tried to place his paws where she did. It was hard because of Frog but Duststripe kept on.

And then he tripped. Duststripe fell onto his face, his mouth opening in shock. Frog flew away. Duststripe hit the ground hard and his eyes closed. He only stayed down for a short while. His chest and chin were muddy but he didn't notice. He scrambled up and searched for his son in the darkness. He should be near by. For that matter where was Cloverleaf?

"Frog!" he cried.

He looked around. He couldn't see anyone anywhere. It was like he was alone. It was as if his two companions had been sucked away from him. Panicked sent his heart racing as the bog bubbled back at him.

"Frog!" he called out in terror.

"I've got him."

Duststripe looked up. Cloverleaf was on a branch, her own muddy face looking down at him. Frog was between her paws, her tail wrapped around the feverish, muddied kit. She looked tired. She had to have jumped up there after saving Frog.

Duststripe felt instant relief and heaved out a great sigh. His son was safe. He quickly jumped up to join her. The branch swayed and dipped. Duststripe's claws came out and his tail whipped the air as he caught his balance. Cloverleaf grabbed Frog in her jaws and sought to keep her balance as well. Terror widened her eyes.

The branch stopped after a time. Duststripe slowly relaxed.

"We'll travel up here," Cloverleaf meowed, setting down Frog. "It should be safer."

_Unless the branch sways again_, Duststripe thought.

Cloverleaf picked up Frog and led the way once more. Duststripe was relieved just to follow her, glad that she was carrying Frog now. His neck could finally recover. He was still scared that he'd be proven right, that his son would die in the bog. Just barely he'd lost his son and only Cloverleaf's quick thinking had saved him.

They walked more along the branches. It was easier. They could just hop over to a new one when they needed to, always keeping the same direction. They stayed high above the ground, safe from sinking. He could barely make out the ground when he paused to look at it.

Then Duststripe heard the voices. His brown ears pricked. Cloverleaf hurried over, easily jumping over a gap despite Frog. Duststripe felt his heart race while she reached the other side. He was so scared she'd drop his son. And then it was his turn. He leaped over, his claws digging into the bark. Below them, on one of the only solid islands he'd seen, Petal, Lightberry, and Waterdrop sat, deep in discussion.

Cloverleaf dropped down from the tree. The three cats scattered, hissing. Duststripe joined her.

Lightberry almost attacked before she realized it was Duststripe when she did, her war-cry turned into a cry of joy. She rushed forward and rubbed her head against Duststripe. Her purr filled the air as Cloverleaf started talking to Petal.

"I'm so glad you got out safely," Lightberry sighed, her eyes closed as she leaned against Duststripe.

"So am I," Duststripe answered wholeheartedly. He licked the other warrior on the head and walked to Petal.

He lowered his head to her.

"Duststripe," Petal meowed, her voice tired. "It is good to see you well."

He looked up and saw her eyes glow back at him with pleasure. Then with her last word, he remembered his son. Duststripe turned to Waterdrop.

"Please look at Frog," Duststripe pleaded. "You need to help him."

The brown tom's tail twitched anxiously. Waterdrop nodded and moved to where Cloverleaf had left the kit. The silver-gray tom sniffed the kit and started nudging him with his nose. There was no response. Duststripe could see the leafcat's back tense and his own worry spiked.

"What does he have? Will he be all right?" Duststripe anxiously asked, hovering around them.

Waterdrop glanced up at Duststripe with a glare. Duststripe backed off, but he didn't sit still. He didn't want his son to have something bad like blackcough. He stared as Waterdrop continued examining his son.

The leafcat placed a paw over the kit's nose which through the mud Duststripe thought he could see something like white snot. After a while Waterdrop meowed, "It's really bad whitecough. It might become greencough soon. This morning it was a simple fever but all this moving around made him worse."

Duststripe felt crushed. He'd hurt his son by taking him from camp. The brown tom's ears went back.

"What can we do?" Lightberry meowed quietly, her soft yellow eyes anxiously scanning the others who'd come near.

"I need herbs," Waterdrop meowed, but after looking around the dark island, continued, "there aren't the right kinds in here. They're out in the forest."

"Then go," Petal meowed quickly, waving her tail.

"But Petal--" he protested.

"This kit's health is more important than our safety," the reddish leader mewed firmly, her golden eyes boring into Waterdrop's blue.

Waterdrop soon dropped his gaze. He sighed and nodded.

"Keep him warm," the leafcat commanded, looking at the she-cats. He started walking away.

"Come on," he called to Duststripe.

The brown tom looked up, startled. He wanted to stay!

"I need some protection if we get caught," Waterdrop meowed, noticing Duststripe wasn't following.

"But my son--"

"Will be fine for now, but unless we get a move on . . . "

Duststripe jumped forward. Anything for his son. As he and Waterdrop left the island for the low tree branches, Duststripe saw Cloverleaf curl up around Frog, Lightberry by her side. Even Petal joined them. Frog would be safe and warm, Duststripe knew feeling a bit better as he wandered away.

Duststripe jumped up on the low branch. His claws clutched the small craggy bark as the branch swayed. Waterdrop was further on, cautiously traversing other branches to the forest. Duststripe hurried to catch up. The sounds of night closed in on the toms as they traveled silently. As they traveled out of the bog, the trees grew farther apart and the branches higher. Soon they'd have to jump to firmer ground. They still had a way to go when Duststripe spoke. He was still farther behind the leafcat, but Waterdrop heard him.

"How do you know where you're going?" he asked. He was surprised that Waterdrop could move so confidently. Not once had the gray tom stopped.

"There are herbs in here," Waterdrop meowed. "My mentor showed me this place and taught me about the bog."

Duststripe nodded. That made sense. The leafcat must have brought Petal and Lightberry to this place because he knew it.

They reached the forest by this time. Waterdrop leapt from the branch and hit the ground. The undergrowth rustled with his movement. Duststripe jumped down beside him and Waterdrop made a motion for silence.

Duststripe nodded and then followed Waterdrop. The gray tom's body stayed low and his pawsteps cautious. As Duststripe watched him and started similar movements, he felt anger grow inside him. It was unfair that he and Waterdrop had to fear their own territory. Fear being hunted and caught on their own land. Sullen had no right! Duststripe's eyes narrowed as he thought about the tom. He hoped that when the time came, Sullen would pay for the things he'd done to the Clan.

The two toms continued through the forest. Duststripe kept his ears and eyes opened as he looked for threats. He was to protect Waterdrop as the leafcat found herbs. Duststripe became even more nervous as they went closer to camp. What was the leafcat doing? Duststripe grew even more apprehensive. His body twitching at every sound.

A loud hoot made his fur stand on end and his claws slide out. He looked up to see a large owl swooping down on them. Its silver-brown feathers shining in the moonlight. Duststripe ducked, hitting the ground as it whooshed overhead. It quickly disappeared back into the sky. Duststripe didn't see or hear it again for many heartbeats. Then he saw a dark shadow between the trees. A short squeak was the only evidence of the prey the predator had caught. As the bird winged away, Duststripe slowly stood. He looked over for Waterdrop. The gray tom was laying on the ground. Duststripe hurried, over, concerned that the owl had clawed open the leaf-cat.

When Duststripe got there, Waterdrop was okay, but breathing heavily. The brown tom nudged the leafcat. He opened his eyes and his blue eyes met Duststripe's gaze. He swallowed and nodded his head. He shakily stood up. Duststripe wondered why the tom was so scared of the owl. He didn't ask not only because it was dangerous to be talking so close to camp but also because he respected the leafcat's privacy. If Waterdrop had some fear it was his own to know about and to over come.

"A bit farther," the tom meowed very quietly. Duststripe almost didn't hear him.

They really didn't have far to go. They soon came to a small clearing. Stalks of strong smelling plants littered the ground. Their purple flowers bright with the shining moon. Duststripe remembered the area and his stomach clenched. He hadn't been here in such a long time. This was where Streaminglight, his mentor, had died. The weasel had known the Cats loved the catmint and had lain in wait. When a cat came, it killed her. Duststripe had killed the weasel, but he'd never returned to the clearing, haunted by the memories.

He shook his head, trying to shake the memories from him now. Waterdrop was already quickly gathering leaves in his mouth. The tom was trying to be quiet, but every snip of his teeth was loud in the night. Finally he was ready. He turned, his cheeks bulging. Duststripe turned around and quickly led the way back to the bog. When they got there, Waterdrop had to take the lead. Nothing else happened on their way to the island. The peace was undisturbed. The she-cats were sleeping around Frog when they got there.

Cloverleaf woke up first. Her green eyes looked fierce but when she saw it was them, she relaxed. She stood up slowly and stretched long. The two other she-cat woke up with the movement. They left Frog's side as Waterdrop took their place. He spat the leaves out of his mouth and started giving them to the kit.

Duststripe could only watch for a few moments. He had to trust Waterdrop knew what he was doing. He needed answers from Petal. The brown warrior walked to his leader.

"Are we going to take back our Clan?" he asked her.

Petal watched him for a time, her golden eyes considering.

"I'd like to," she finally meowed. "But what are the six of us supposed to do? There were many rogues."

"But what about our Clan?" Lightberry asked, joining the conversation. "They're on our side. Right?"

However, even as she said it, she seemed doubtful. That made Duststripe doubtful as well.

Petal glanced away. "I am only the leader. A figurehead. What good am I to the whole Clan? I only announce the decisions the warriors make and call on StarClan to protect us. Exchanging one leader from the next won't be different to the Clan."

"But you've led us for these long seasons," Cloverleaf meowed. "That stands for something."

"Many cats won't want Sullen leading them," Waterdrop put in. "They'll want you back. They'd fight for you. They did so you could escape."

Petal nodded. "Those are the cats I know I can trust and count on. It is the others we must worry about."

"Others?" Duststripe meowed.

"Yes," Petal sighed. "The ones that believe Sullen will never be overthrown. The ones that follow the winner of a fight. They will be with Sullen now that he's taken over. We must add those to his rogues."

Duststripe suddenly knew what she meant. There were cats in his Clan that only followed the strongest, that did what the winner said. Rednose, a white tom with a red muzzle and tail, was one of these cats. There were a few others, but the white warrior was the first that came to mind.

"So what do we do before we attack?" Cloverleaf asked. She seemed determined that they were going back and that Petal would assume leadership again.

"We stay here for now," Petal meowed. "Frog has to recover. I don't want to leave him alone while we fight."

"Waterdrop would stay with him," Duststripe meowed.

"I can fight as well as the next warrior," Waterdrop growled, staring up from Frog. His shoulders were hunched over threateningly. Duststripe remembered that leafcats were taught some battle moves to protect them from wild animal attacks.

"Which is why we'd need him if we attack Sullen," Petal nodded. "We'll attack when Frog is better and not in so much danger. Until then, we'll stay here. Maybe we can contact a few of our Clanmates. They can be our spies and tell us when to attack."

Duststripe nodded, liking that idea. It would be safe and his kit would have time enough to recover. Perhaps they could also give Frog to them to give to Lilyfern. She and Dancingeyes could take care of Frog. Petal, Duststripe, and the group would not have to worry about him then.

Suddenly, Duststripe broke into a mighty yawn. He hadn't realized how tired he was until that moment. Fear had lent him energy all night even as it sapped him. He had to relax at some point and right now that it was safe, sleep was a good idea.

Petal noticed it as well. She twitched her ears and meowed, "We'll talk more in the morning. For now we need sleep. We'll have better ideas when we're well rested."

The rest of the cats nodded. Duststripe went over to Frog and since Waterdrop was done giving the kit the catmint leaves, he curled around his son to keep him warm. His Clanmates rested against him. Above, the thick tangle of branches blocked the view of the sky. The stars above winked down on the cats.

* * *

**What shall they do? And why is Sullen being so silent? What will he do now that the Clan is his? Or is it really?**


	4. Chapter 3 The Escape

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Hey, thanks to all my patient reviewers: _xxSnowfirexx, xXLepardusXx, VioletteRose, Anidori-Isilee, Oo-Rainpath-oO, Moonriver of AirClan, _and _Sharron58

_Thanks to you silent readers._

_All questions will be revealed in coming chapters._

_I got bored with not writing, especially during school break. So here you go. . ._

* * *

**Chapter 3**

The rising sun didn't waken the six cats. They were still deep asleep as the sun appeared over the horizon, unseen through the trees. The air became a rosy pink hue. The birds starting whistling and singing to each other, flapping through the air. That didn't wake the cats either. What did, were the scraps of claws on bark and the calls of cats in the trees.

Duststripe was the first awake. His eyes opened and he took in the gloomy black trees above, vines trailing down to the swamp. Frogs burbled to each other and even a few ducks quacked in the distance. At first he thought that's what awakened him and was starting to stretch and lick his fur clean when he heard the whispers.

"Can you still smell them?" the whispery voice demanded shrilly.

"Of course," the tom snapped back just as breathy. "Now shut your mouth."

Duststripe's fur rose as he stood up. His tail brushed his companions' pelts. They instantly woke up as well. At first they looked confused but at Duststripe waving his tail in front of his mouth for silence, they realized something was wrong. Their ears strained for what he'd heard as they got prepared to flee.

In the distance a cat yowled in fright. Fear scent quickly permeated the island. Duststripe almost sneezed. But he had a feeling it was his own fear scent combined with the others. It probably wasn't for the same reasons either. He'd feared that the cat who'd cried out had fallen into the bog and sucked under the muddy water. It reminded him of his sister and that scared him deeply, paining his heart.

"Come," Petal whispered. "We have to leave. We have to leave the territory."

"How did they find us?" Lightberry asked harshly, just as quiet.

"Smell," Duststripe breathed out. "Our scents."

Their eyes widened. Duststripe wondered whose scent they'd found. His and Waterdrop's? Cloverleaf's? Or had it been Petal's?

A growl above them made their hearts jump. Duststripe looked up into the crossing branches to see three cats glaring down at them. Two toms and a she-cat. Their claws slid out as they hunched above like hawks. Their eyes glittered with malice and pleasure all at the same time. They'd found the ones they were hunting and now they could do as they'd been commanded.

"They're here!" yowled the shrill voice of the silver-gray she-cat at the top of her lungs, calling to the other cats in the bog.

"Hurry!" Petal shouted her eyes wide.

She took to the trees on the opposite side of the island. Lightberry scrambled up after her, Waterdrop close behind. The tom bounded faster than the two she-cats and took the lead. Petal let him since he knew the way out of the bog.

Cloverleaf spat at the rogues, her fur bristling, determined to fight and not run or else helping the others escape. Duststripe grabbed his son's scruff and hurried over to the escape branches. The rogues tried to cut them off, leaping over the gaps of the trees like squirrels. One white tom landed on the island facing Cloverleaf. She took a swipe at him, clawing open his nose, blood flew across his face, spattering it red. He shrieked and bowled her over.

Duststripe wanted to stay and help the dappled she-cat but he had to leap up into the branches. The two other rogues were closing the escape fast. Even Lightberry, Waterdrop, and Petal were disappearing into the distance. The branches swayed around them, knocking and snapping together. That wasn't the only direction the sound was coming from. From all directions, Duststripe was sure he could hear the same thing. The rogues were closing in.

Duststripe leaped up into the trees, his claws grasping, his back legs constantly shoving off. He could not stop to gain his balance though he longed too. The cats were almost in front of him. He pushed past them, toppling the silver-gray she-cat. She slipped, almost falling off of the branch. Her companion did not stop to help her. He hurried after Duststripe instead.

Duststripe was tiring already. His neck was aching with the weight of his son and his legs unused to the vertical, constant climb, his claws unused to the constant grasping and pulling. The black tom was on his heels, snapping with his long teeth. Duststripe's heart raced and he pushed himself forward only the branches and trees in his gaze. And then he missed a step. He misjudged a leap. His chest slammed into the branch meant for his paws.

Frog's body was the next to hit the branch as Duststripe fell. Duststripe's jaws ached as Frog tried to separate from him. The kit squeaked in pain as his father's teeth pierced skin. Duststripe and Frog slipped down, no longer secure on anything. They fell through the tree branches to the bog below. One branch hit Duststripe in his belly, knocking the air from the tom. He toppled forward, overbalanced by the son in his mouth.

His back legs saved him. He hung forward on the same branch, staring into the muddy ground below. He was balanced right where his legs met his body. He stared, breathing hard, hurting. Frog trembled in his father's hold and Duststripe tasted salty blood.

Above them, the branches quaked. The tom was coming down. He took his time too. It was like he was savoring his moment before the kill. Duststripe's legs started hurting. He wondered if it would be quicker to straighten them and just sink below the water. It seemed the rogue tom felt the same way. He stood beside Duststripe's back end. Duststripe could just see his black pelt out of the corner of his eyes. Then the tom placed his claws onto Duststripe. Duststripe flinched in surprise as the tom started pushing, trying to shove him off of the branch. That made Duststripe tense, trying to hold on all the harder.

No words at all were spoken as the tom pushed down, starting to pant. Duststripe wanted to protest, but Frog was still hanging in his mouth. The kit was even starting to struggle a bit, angered by what he'd been going through, or else he was writhing with the fever. Duststripe didn't know, but it was making his hold all the more harder both on son and branch.

And in the distance Duststripe heard the branches knocking together again. Some cat was coming. The tom only paused for a bit and then started pushing again, obviously thinking it was one of his companions. Duststripe feared it was as well. He was getting tired just sitting there and his head was starting to hurt with all the blood rushing to it. If another cat came, he would be in the water in no time. He'd be dead just like his sister.

The knocking branches came closer and then suddenly the sound was overhead. A loud shriek of rage almost made Duststripe drop his son in shock. The cat jumped down from the branches up above and sprang onto the black tom. The rogue was surprised but quickly recovered. Duststripe heard them fighting. He heard teeth clicking together in bites and claws hitting flesh. Soon then the tom fell down. His head hit a branch and he was knocked unconscious. He felt to the ground and Duststripe was surprised that when the rogue hit the ground, the water splashing around him, but didn't sink. The ground wasn't endless after all, Duststripe thought, suddenly relieved. Then the attacking cat came close.

Teeth grabbed his back and pulled. Duststripe winced in pain but didn't struggle as the cat pulled him up. He quickly tried to gain his feet on the branch. As soon as he was stable, he looked into the green eyes of Cloverleaf. She had claw marks on her face and blood was dripping down into her eyes. Her breath came out ragged. She was in pain and was exhausted from all the fighting.

"Come on," she meowed, her voice thin, "We've got to get out of this bog."

Duststripe nodded, his son swinging in his jaws, still again. He followed Cloverleaf upwards to more secure branches. At every step his sides ached. He just followed her hoping she knew where she was going. They didn't say anything as they walked.

It was sunhigh when they left the bog. The Tanglewood Bog's trees ended and marshland spread out. Duststripe stared at it. He'd never been this far from camp before. He gazed out on the wetland, wondering what would happen next. He and Cloverleaf had lost the others once more. They had no idea what they were doing and Sullen really was hunting them. He didn't want Petal getting away.

The sun shone off of the water of the marsh, the reeds waving in the wind. Herons and other strange birds hunted the fish in the deeper water. It was almost peaceful on the edge. He and Cloverleaf sat on a tree branch. It was curved over, one end disappearing into the water. He and Cloverleaf sat on it, under the sunhigh sun, resting.

"This way," Cloverleaf suddenly meowed, standing up.

"Where are you going?" Duststripe asked, having placed Frog down long before.

"When I went to find Petal and the others," she meowed, sitting down again, "They told me that if we got separated we were to meet at the forest's edge."

Duststripe's ears went up. Petal had known they'd be separated?

Cloverleaf noticed the look and continued.

"They felt that Sullen might come after us. The only safe place, Petal thought, would be out of the territory. Out of the forest. They don't know outside the forest, just like we don't, so we'd be safer. Now we have to find them. They'll be along the side."

"Then how do you know this is the right direction?" Duststripe asked, nodding to where she'd started.

"Waterdrop knows his way around here," Cloverleaf meowed. "He wouldn't take them to this marsh. The marsh continues that way, but not this." She nodded her head. "I think this is the best way."

Duststripe had to agree. He would follow her once more, trusting her judgement. Before they left, Duststripe insisted that they hunt. Cloverleaf nodded. He gave Frog to her and went fishing. He'd learned this from his mentor and even his father, Whitetoes. They knew the fishing skills, just like Cloverleaf knew the shadow blending skills. Each cat had a legacy of some sort, a skill from a long time ago. So Duststripe got them some fish.

He tried to get his son to eat, but Frog had once more gone back into his fever. He shouldn't have been moved at all this time and there was no more catmint. Duststripe knew, however, that he wouldn't leave his son for the Clan to pick up. He didn't trust the rogues at all. They didn't follow the code and so they didn't see the importance of keeping kits safe. Duststripe would keep his son. Now they needed to find Waterdrop once more.

During the break, Cloverleaf licked her wounds clean. Her worst wounds were on her rump. The white tom on the island had almost bitten through the base of her tail and it was seeping. Duststripe was scared she might lose her tail. He didn't say anything though. He did wonder how she'd escaped the icy white tom and the other rogues who'd come running when the she-cat with the shrill voice called. Cloverleaf offered no explanation.

After their meal, the two warriors started walking once more. Cloverleaf had a limp to her step, reminding Duststripe of Lightberry. He wondered if she'd recovered. Running through the tree branches that morning probably hadn't helped her twisted paw to heal. Would Lightberry always have a limp? he wondered.

They walked all day and the sun sank. Cloverleaf insisted they get some sleep. She curled up under a lonely bush just inside the forest edge. Duststripe wondered where they were in comparison to the camp. He hoped the rogues never found them hiding at the edge. He laid beside Cloverleaf, placing his son between them and then started sleeping. His dreams were filled with terror of always being chased and yet cats weren't always doing it. There were foxes, badgers, dogs, and even a tall creature with no fur but the small bit on its head. Needless to say when he woke up the next morning, he was still tired.

Cloverleaf was hard to rouse. When Duststripe did wake her up, he saw that she had a fever as well. He looked at her wounds and wasn't surprised to see them inflamed and infected. He sighed, but nudged her up. They had to keep going. They had to find Waterdrop. He was the most valuable cat to them right now.

Cloverleaf got up and leaned against Duststripe most of the morning. After sunhigh she was a bit more lucid but she let Duststripe lead. The marshland was far behind them and now Duststripe looked for his Clanmates. On the way he hunted. He wasn't used to hunting out of the trees and he didn't catch much, but it was enough to stop the growling in his belly.

The sun was starting to sink again when they came to a large cropping of rocks. The stones were tall and pointed straight up many jumbled and leaning against each other. Only one rock lay on its side. Duststripe decided this was a good place to rest. He led Cloverleaf there. On the side of the bumpy, leaning rock he saw the makings of a nest. The moss and bird feathers looked fresh. His heartbeat picked up. He placed Frog on the ground and breathed the scent of the nests in. The familiar, lovely smell of Lightberry filled his nose. His heart soared as he realized he'd found them once more. He and Cloverleaf were no longer alone.

"Here," Duststripe meowed, nudging Cloverleaf forward, her eyes cloudy. "Sleep here."

She lowered herself not seeming to care. He placed Frog by her side and then left them. He quickly bounded up one of the rocks. The land spread out around him. The forest in front of him, sinking sun behind him. He looked for any movement. Any familiar sight of a cat. There was nothing at all. No movement in the field anywhere. His heart sank. Surely they hadn't run off already? Had Sullen already made it here before Duststripe? He didn't want to believe it but it felt like he must. He heaved a sigh and got off of the rock, returning to Frog and Cloverleaf. They were already sleeping. He knew that they wouldn't be leaving tomorrow. They'd have to rest and hope that Petal and the others returned.

********

The morning came and with it the smell of freshkill. Duststripe's pink nose wiggled as the hot scent surrounded him. His eyes blinked open. The dead eyes of a vole stared back at him. He blinked at it, uncomprehending for a short time. Then he raised his head. No one was around. It was just him. He looked to the other nest and saw Cloverleaf and Frog still sleeping but they looked relaxed and a gob of cobwebs covered the dappled she-cats hind end.

Duststripe looked around again. He knew they were there. Waterdrop was the only one who could have taken care of Cloverleaf. He slowly got up, stretching his stiff muscles. Before he left to find them, he ate the vole, glad of whoever got it for him. He took off, wandering around the rocks, searching for his companions.

The breeze suddenly blew around him, brushing his fur. With it came the smell of Lightberry. He raised his head and scented for her. She was nearby. He ran around the rocks a few more times, still confused. He didn't see her at all. And then he heard the laughter. Whoever it was was trying to contain it and stay quiet. It sounded above him. He looked up and saw Lightberry's brown pelt sitting on a rock. She had her eyes closed with glee.

Duststripe smiled and scrambled up the rock to join her. She quickly made room for him.

"Where is everyone else?" he asked her.

"Petal thought it was safer if we didn't all group together. She and Waterdrop are somewhere else," Lightberry's tail flicked out to the field. "They're scouting. Waterdrop took care of your son and Cloverleaf."

"I saw," Duststripe meowed. "So you're standing guard?"

She nodded, now more solemn. "I can see for fox lengths up here. If there are any more cats, I can give the warning, and we run."

"Which direction?" Duststripe asked, determined not to be left behind again.

"The field," she meowed. "That is the only direction we can go. Wherever it leads us, we'll follow."

"They wouldn't follow us here would they?" Duststripe asked about the rogues.

Lightberry looked away and didn't answer.

Duststripe felt cold in his heart. He looked toward the forest that was once his home. It was Sullen's now and the tom seemed determined to get rid of them. Perhaps he was scared Petal would try to win back her Clan. Why else would he send the rogues after them? Duststripe didn't know, but he did know that if the rogue came again, it would mean Sullen really did want rid of them. Who knew when the tom would stop following them.


	5. Chapter 4 The Long Journey Starts

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to my reviewers who really help me:_ Anidori-Isilee, xXThunderspiritXx, Wolfgaze, Chat et Chocolat, _and_ xxSnowfirexx

_Summery: Summerheat camp was taken, six cats escape to the bog, rogues come after them and they are separated. Finally reunite and we pick up from there:_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The site became known as the Rockpile to the six refugees. Duststripe met Waterdrop and Petal later that evening when they finally came back. Waterdrop was caring for Cloverleaf at the leaning boulder when Duststripe and Lightberry jumped off of the lookout post. The leafcat was licking the dappled she-cat's wounds, some herbs by his paws. Cloverleaf wasn't sleeping but it didn't look like she was totally there with them either. She muttered something about large birds as she stared into the distance. Frog was sleeping in his little nest. Duststripe sniffed his son to see if he was still alive. The gray and brown tom's chest slowly rose and fell. He still felt warm.

"Everything all right?" Petal asked walking around the Rockpile to meet them.

"They will recover," Waterdrop meowed. Duststripe couldn't help but think how doubtful he sounded. "We just can't move them."

Petal nodded and looked at Duststripe.

"We didn't see anyone," he shrugged.

Lightberry was by his side, nuzzling the sleeping kit. It looked like she wanted to join him.

"Then we are safe for now," Petal nodded. "I caught some prey and I need help bringing it back."

She turned away. Duststripe started to follow her. He wasn't surprised when no one else did. He and the leader were alone.

"I'm glad you caught up with us again," Petal meowed when he joined her. They walked leisurely side by side.

Duststripe could see she wasn't totally relaxed. Her ears twitched at every sound and her muscles where tense. Duststripe realized he needed to be tense as well but it was hard to be when he was tired and also happy to be with everyone again. The danger of three days ago was starting to become a bit fuzzy in his mind. He didn't think Sullen would send anyone out of the forest.

"I'm sorry we left you," Petal meowed, quieter. "I would have stayed to help you, but-"

"It's all right," Duststripe tried to sooth her. He knew what she was going through. He would have stayed to help Cloverleaf fight against the white tom but he had to save his son. Petal had her own responsibilities.

"Tomorrow you will stand guard," Petal meowed. "We have to spread out so we won't be easy to capture. Lightberry, Waterdrop, and I will be out here."

She nodded to the wide open space they'd come to. Nearby was a pile of prey. Duststripe could see mice, birds, and a rabbit. His mouth watered. He hadn't eaten since that morning and he was sure Lightberry was hungry too.

"What about Cloverleaf?" Duststripe asked as he picked up a bird.

Petal looked away. "If it comes to it, you might have to leave her."

"No," Duststripe protested.

Petal looked at him right in the eyes now. "She'll have to run for herself but if her wounds are too much, you can't help her. Your son needs to live and so do the rest of us. Clans never place one member above the rest."

Duststripe felt a growl coming. He knew what the code said about that but still it was a hard thing to actually believe he'd do that. He wouldn't leave wounded Cloverleaf to the rogues or to anyone else. Even if Petal was leader, he would disobey her if he had to. Lightberry could take Frog.

The two cats picked up the prey and started carrying it back to their temporary camp. Duststripe was still in a dark mood since that conversation and he didn't see the way the sunlight colored the sky as the sun set. The shadows lengthened and the crickets started to chirp. It was almost soothing. The grass underfoot was soft and the smell of heather and prey filled the air. Duststripe didn't notice as he was trying to imagine helping Cloverleaf to safety if it came to it. He wondered if they could hide in a rock crack if they had to. Maybe they could bargain with the rogues.

They got back to the nests. Lightberry was sleeping and Waterdrop was working on Frog, making the half awake kit swallow the catmint juice. Cloverleaf was swathed in another bundle of cobwebs. Duststripe wondered where Waterdrop got all of them. He was glad that Waterdrop knew where to get herbs though. Duststripe would have been lost looking for them.

That night, the sky above them a brilliant dark purple, the cats slept. Petal took first watch on top of the rock and halfway through the night gave it to Waterdrop. Duststripe only noticed when he woke up as Petal laid near his side. Lightberry and Frog were still with him and he quickly fell back to sleep.

**_-Line-_**

Morning came and with it Duststripe's guard duty. Waterdrop took care of his patients while Lightberry and Petal faded off into the open field, hiding and hunting. One of the she-cats brought back fresh-kill at sunhigh. Duststripe hopped off of his post to get some. Waterdrop left the Rockpile after picking up a mouse. His long tail swung low behind him as he disapeared into the open field.

Cloverleaf was actually awake that day. Duststripe looked at her in surprise when he saw her sitting up. She blinked tiredly back. Duststripe could tell the fever had left her. Now she was only wounded and sore. She would get better. Frog, meanwhile, twitched in his sleep, still in bad health. Duststripe looked at his son and saw that he was becoming skin and bones. This escape wasn't good for the kit. Duststripe hoped they'd stay in the same place long enough for Frog to get better.

"How do you feel?" Duststripe asked Cloverleaf quietly.

"I hurt all over," she sighed. She dipped her head to take a bite of her own prey.

Duststripe knew he should have been getting back to his rock but he sat beside Frog and started feeding his son with small bits of meat. He knew Cloverleaf probably wouldn't because of her own illness.

"Well, Waterdrop is taking care of you," Duststripe told her after making Frog swallow. The kit couldn't seem to open up his gummy eyes. Duststripe was worried. Frog used to be a talkative, intelligent kit. This illness could have imparied him. "You'll be better in no time."

Cloverleaf snorted. It didn't seem like she believed him.

"What happened on the island?" Duststripe asked her. "How did you defeat that tom? And what about those other rogues who were coming?"

Cloverleaf paused. For a long time she looked off into the distance. Then she finally spoke.

"He knocked me over and for a while I was stuck under him. Then I remembered that trick Whitetoes taught me. How to fool the enemy into believing they won. I stopped fighting and went limp. Ice got off of me, and well, I turned over and ran. To tell you the truth, I knew I couldn't stay. So I ran. He got me right on my tail as I was running. I was sure he'd break my spine or my tail, but I managed to shake him off. The other cats hadn't even come."

Cloverleaf looked ashamed. Duststripe could imagine she didn't like that she'd run. She was a fierce fighter and wasn't one for showing weakness or giving up. This failure had to have hurt her.

"At least you're alive," Duststripe meowed. "I know I'm glad you came along."

Cloverleaf smiled, realizing he was trying to make her feel better.

Duststripe then got back to feeding Frog. Soon he was done as Frog wouldn't take anymore and then he got up and took a bird with him to his rock. Cloverleaf got back to sleeping, repairing her body and her mind. Duststripe leapt up the rock and faced the forest once more. It was like a big black stain on the other side of the green and golden field. From his position, he couldn't even see the other side where the other field (part of the Clan's territory) and the stream were. He wondered how long that field went on. Where there other forests or was his own just it? Such a thing was hard to believe as the stories of how his Clan was created claimed there was another forest and a large body of water, but Duststripe hadn't seen it and wasn't sure it was real.

Just then movement caught his eye. Duststripe's head came up and he stared at the bottom of the trees. There it was again. A shadow moved against the bushes, moving the leaves in twitches. He could tell it was a cat but the cat never left the tree line, just stood there pacing. Duststripe felt dread fill his heart. They couldn't have come yet! It was too soon, Cloverleaf needed to get better and Frog had to wake up!

He continued to watch the figure for the rest of the day. On occasion he saw the cat pause and once, another took its spot. He had a feeling he and the others were being watched. The rogues knew excatly where they were.

**_-Line-_**

The cats didn't come until the next day. Cloverleaf was walking by then but Waterdrop still had to take care of her, cleaning her wounds twice a day. Frog was also taken care of and his fever started cooling down, but still he hadn't woken up. Petal was on guard duty that day. Duststripe was out in the field. He wasn't sure exactly what to do but he hid in tall grass and behind bushes. Whenever he got bored he moved around again. On occasion he hunted, bringing food back to the others. Cloverleaf wanted to go with him but Petal told her not to push herself. They probably would have to flee soon and Cloverleaf had to save her energy.

Petal told everyone to be on guard that day when Duststripe reported what he'd seen. He hadn't gotten that much sleep that night, sure they'd be attacked. Lightberry, the guard for most of the night said nothing had changed at all and no cats came. So that morning Petal wanted to be the guard. She sent everyone away but told them to keep close. She told them to run in the direction of the setting sun if any cat came. Dustsripe knew that he would be going back to the Rockpile if the attack came. He was getting Frog and making sure Cloverleaf came with them.

He was starting to stalk a rabbit when Petal gave the warning cry. The rabbit bolted. After stifling an annoyed meow, he ran back for the Rockpile. He was close when he saw Petal running for him. Frog was in her mouth, Cloverleaf by her side. Duststripe met them and grabbed Frog from her. Cloverleaf's cobwebs started to fall from her side but she didn't seem to notice. Her wounds were raw and seeping. Duststripe turned away.

"How many?" he got out from his son's scruff.

"Five," Petal meowed. "Most of them from the bog. He wants us gone."

Duststripe knew she was talking about Sullen. He certainly did want them gone. Five was a patrol, a battle patrol. It was not a group wanting to talk. Duststripe just concentrated on running after that.

The sun was warm on their backs as they hurried. Ahead of them, Duststripe could make out Waterdrop's silver pelt. Lightberry was harder to spot with her light brown fur. She easily blended into the grass even with her black spots. Duststripe wondered how much he, Cloverleaf, and Petal stood out to the following cats. Petal and Cloverleaf started to get ahead. Duststripe's neck was aching and they hadn't even got that far. He realized it was hard to breath with Frog in his mouth. He couldn't even lower his head to speed up. Duststripe wondered how long they'd have to keep this up. How long would they have to run and how long would the other cats keep following? He had a feeling it wasn't only this day he was thinking about, but quarter moons.

They tried to go for as long as they could, but Duststripe and Cloverleaf were exhausted first. Even Lightberry's limp came back. They had to stop before nightfall.

"We should keep walking at least," Waterdrop heaved. His legs were shaking from exhaustion.

Duststripe new the leafcat was the oldest of them all. He should have been joining the elders. Until this day, though, Waterdrop had been in good health. Now Duststripe wondered if this escape was taking everything from them.

"No," Petal meowed, gasping. "We have to rest. They will too. We'll just rest for a while, then we can walk."

Everyone settled down, curling up, exhausted and hungry. Cloverleaf had to lick her wounds clean. They were bleeding again. Waterdrop was asleep before long and couldn't find her more herbs or cobwebs. Duststripe wanted to help her but his head hurt too much. He set his son down and curled around him.

The next morning came too soon for the six cats. No one had stayed up to watch the land behind them and so with the sun in their eyes, they felt fear. Where were the other cats? Petal didn't allow anyone to stop for food, saying they'd catch prey on the way. They started walking again, the sun at their backs. Duststripe didn't know where they were going, but he hoped they got there soon.

That day was almost like the other. The six cats walked this time, hoping they had a good head start. They didn't rest until evening. Lightberry was carrying Frog by that time. She sighed as she placed the kit down.

"He is heavy," she meowed, rolling her head. "I wish he'd get better so he could walk."

"Me too," Duststripe agreed.

Waterdrop looked up from where he was sitting and with an annoyed grunt got up. Everyone watched him stalk off.

"What's up with him?" Cloverleaf asked. She stopped licking her wounds.

Petal shrugged. "Who knows. It's just his way."

She laid down and looked like she'd get some sleep. Duststripe knew she was almost as old as Waterdrop. She seemed to be handling the journey well though. Duststripe left the she-cats and went to hunt something. Frog had to get something down.

When he got back, Waterdrop had lots of herbs with him. Mostly they were strong smelling, but that made sense to Duststripe. How else would the leafcat find them in this unfamiliar land? Catmint lay next to Frog and Duststripe brushed away the crushed leaves as he sat beside his son.

Waterdrop was applying a poultice to Cloverleaf.

"In the morning we'll eat these other herbs," he meowed, "it will give us strength."

"Good," Lightberry sighed. "I'm glad we have you with us. I know the other cats won't have herbs that do this."

Petal purred in amusement, her eyes closed.

**_-Line-_**

The next half moon seemed to be constantly filled with running. The five cats were always there. Duststripe could see them on the horizon every time he and the others got up. They were always following, hunting. Duststripe wished they'd give up. It felt wrong trying to hide from his own kind. He didn't want to keep running and getting farther and farther away from camp and from Lilyfern.

Luckily things went good for the group of six. Frog recovered from his sickness and demanded to be allowed to walk. Of course he was weak so after a few fox lengths Duststripe had to pick up his son again. Cloverleaf's wounds started to heal and not to seep as much.

Then came the day they didn't see the five rogues. Lightberry looked up from her mouse and kept her eyes on the horizon. Duststripe noticed, fearing the worst and that they'd have to run again. However he didn't see a thing, no movement at all in the grassy hills. He looked back at Lightberry.

"I didn't see them this morning," she meowed.

Duststripe and Lightberry looked at Petal.

"Maybe they gave up," the leader meowed. Her voice sounded hopeful.

"What do we do?" Cloverleaf asked. Duststripe thought she wanted them to stop running now. He sure wanted to rest for a day.

"We keep going," Petal meowed, standing up.

Everyone grumbled but did as she said.

"Duststripe," Frog complained as his father nudged him awake. "Do we have to? They aren't there, we shouldn't have to run again."

"We do," Duststripe told his son. Even if he didn't want to, he'd follow Petal. She knew best at the moment and she was his leader.

When Frog started talking again, Duststripe had been glad, but most of the time Frog was complaining. That didn't make anyone happy at all. Now he kind of wished his son was still young like he used to be. That would make him quieter and easier to carry.

One more day without seeing the rogues passed. Petal finally told them they could rest.

Waterdrop found their temporary camp. It was in a low lying area, a small stream cutting through. Flowers waved everywhere at them in the wind. Small bushes they could use for shelter scattered the area. Waterdrop brought them to it since he'd been looking for more herbs for Cloverleaf. He looked proud that he'd found them a place. When Duststripe saw it, he felt relief. It had been hard to find water on their journey, but here it was in an inviting stream. He wanted to take a drink right now. Frog felt the same. He raced down the slope as if he wasn't tired at all and dove into the small stream. Because the water wasn't deep at all, Duststripe wasn't worried about Frog. A gust of wind blew up the brown tom's fur, and sent Petal stumbling.

"Lets get down there," Petal meowed when she'd recovered.

The six cats smiled and hurried down.

They stayed in the area for three days, happy for once since they'd been chased from Tanglewood. Then the five cats were there again. Duststripe saw their dark outlines one dusk. As he saw them, his heart pounded in fear. He hated that they had to run again, getting ever farther from Summerheat.

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**Sorry, I know I** **wasn't going to upload so soon, but I just have to! Now really tell me what you think or guess.**


	6. Chapter 5: The Long Journey Continues

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers:_ xXThunderspiritXx, Anidori-Isilee, xXEnigmaXx, GinnyStar, Chat et Chocolat, Graysky, _and _Wolfgaze.

_That is a lot! I'm so glad!_

_For the poll I set up last time, Eveningbreeze won for your favorite villain. She had 6 votes. Wow! The others only had two or one votes._

_Now because some of you wanted more action, I hope this gives it too you! It's freshly written. The others were ones I wrote a while ago._

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**Chapter 5**

"Carry me," Frog sighed dramatically and laid in front of his father.

Just short of stepping on his son, Duststripe stopped and looked down at the gray and brown kit. The tall grass almost hid the kit from sight as it came up to Duststripe's knees. The kit had his eyes closed and Duststripe could see the rapid rise and fall of Frog's chest. Frog didn't have whitecough anymore and hadn't been carried for a half moon.

"No," Duststripe meowed.

He stepped over his kit and kept walking with the rest of the group. It continued like this for a few fox lengths until Lightberry glanced back, looking for Frog. Duststripe sighed and looked back as well. Frog was still laying there, a small bundle hidden among the still stalks. Duststripe wondered if his son had fallen asleep.

"Wait please!" Duststripe called.

Petal lifted up her tired head and looked back at him. She quickly nodded and sat down. Waterdrop laid at her side and kept his eyes closed just like Frog. Cloverleaf meanwhile stood and panted. The sun overhead blazed down on the hottest day they'd experienced since they left the Rockpile. It was strain on them all to be walking like this, but none of them could see any shelter in the area.

Duststripe turned around and went to find his son. He sniffed and quickly found Frog. He nudged his son and Frog reluctantly opened his eyes.

"Carry me," Frog demanded.

"You're too big," Duststripe meowed. "I can't carry you."

"You did before," Frog sulked. "I'm tired. I'm too hot. I just want to sleep."

"Everyone feels the same," Duststripe meowed.

"That's right," Lightberry nodded. She stood on the other side of Frog looking down at the kit. Frog glanced over at her and Duststripe saw his eyes brighten.

"Please?" Frog squeaked. "I won't be any trouble."

Duststripe frowned as Frog got a really sad look on his face.

Lightberry looked at Duststripe, echoing the look.

"No," Duststripe meowed. The sun seemed to press on his back and his dark stripes felt as if they were on fire. He didn't want to carry his son and add to the pain. Frog was getting too big. He was three moons old after all.

"He's just going for your sympathy Lightberry," Duststripe continued to the she-cat warrior. "Don't listen to him."

"He's a kit," Lightberry protested. "He needs to be taken care of!"

"He's almost an apprentice," Duststripe stretched the truth. He knew that no kit would be expected to walk as much as Frog was. Frog should have been playing with his brothers, not running across a great plain, hiding from rogues.

"Warriors don't act this way," Duststripe turned his firm gaze on his son. "They don't wait for others to take care of them, they take care of others."

"So take care of me and carry me!" Frog snapped, sitting up. "I don't want to walk anymore. My pads hurt!" he wailed.

Duststripe looked down and saw that Frog's paws were swollen. The kit hadn't developed hard pads like the warriors. Instant guilt swept through Duststripe. He shouldn't have been treating his son this way. But Duststripe just couldn't carry his son. Frog was too big. He'd drag on the ground.

"You wouldn't like it," Duststripe sighed, looking away. "You would be dragged on the ground and your scruff would be pulled. Besides apprentices aren't carried."

"I'm a kit!" Frog mewed.

"Then you won't ever be an apprentice," Duststripe tried. "Then you won't be a warrior."

"I don't see what the big deal is," Frog muttered.

Duststripe's ears went back. Frog didn't seem to understand the importance of being a warrior. Duststripe knew this came from the face Frog didn't remember what Clan life was like. Frog didn't see cats caring for others or protecting them. He didn't see the honor it was to be a warrior serving the clan. Frog only knew fleeing and warriors don't normally run from the enemy unless they couldn't win. Duststripe didn't know how to explain it to his son.

"A warrior's life is hard," Lightberry meowed, watching Frog with concerned eyes. "We give up our lives many times to help the Clan. Right now we don't have a clan. We have to care for each other. We have to make sure we live. If we weren't warriors, we wouldn't bring you back food. Right when you started eating meat, you would have been forced to hunt on your own. You're lucky to be one of us."

Frog stared at Lightberry, absorbing every word. His eyes were wide. Duststripe looked at Lightberry and wondered where she could pull those words from. He would have said something different to Frog, and Frog probably wouldn't have listened.

"You have to learn how to be a warrior by acting like one," Lightberry went on. "You have to be strong and help your Clanmates. You have to consider their needs above your own. I agree that because you are young we should take care of you somewhat, but at this time, it's hard for us. Please be considerate and walk some more. We only have until nightfall."

Frog looked down and slowly nodded. He rose to his feet and with little steps followed Lightberry back to the rest of the group. Duststripe followed behind, smiling at Lightberry's back. He knew she took such good care of his son. She'd almost replaced Lilyfern as his mother. Duststripe then turned his gaze on Frog. His son was still limping and Duststripe knew Frog couldn't go far. He needed to build stronger leg muscles and firmer pads. A kit shouldn't have been required to do that. They couldn't keep walking like this.

When the three got back to the group, Duststripe went to Petal. The leader was snoring quietly. Duststripe hesitated before nudging her awake. Golden eyes looked up into his own.

"Petal?" he questioned.

"Yes, Duststripe?" Petal yawned.

"I propose that every sunhigh we rest," He meowed. So far they'd run through the day, stopping to eat on occasion. No wonder they all got so tired. They needed to rest in between.

Petal thought about his idea for a while and then nodded. "I think we should," she meowed. "Starting right now."

"Good," Lightberry sighed and flopped down. "Come here Frog."

The kit did and then the brown she-cat started licking him, cleaning off his dirty fur.

"I'll hunt," Cloverleaf offered. She was still looking a bit exhausted but she left to find something that wasn't hiding from the heat. Duststripe looked upwards at the great blue sky and at the sun hanging above them. He wondered if the sun was working for Sullen too. It seemed against them at the moment. It was hurting the two elders of the group. Waterdrop was sleeping and Petal was starting to doze off as well.

Duststripe quickly padded off to help Cloverleaf.

**_-Line-_**

The sun started sinking below the horizon for the second hot day. The sunhigh rest seemed to help the group that day. Frog was better and actually jumped around again, chasing grass stalks that tried to escape with the wind. It wasn't strong, but it flared once and a while, to blow dust in their faces. The six hadn't found water for a while now. They had enough from their prey but Duststripe was starting to feel a bit weak. He swallowed, his throat sticky.

Petal chose the spot for them to rest that evening and they settled down, curling separately in the heat. Frog stayed between Duststripe and Lightberry, his pink nose twitching with imaginary prey. Duststripe watched his son for a short time and then closed his own eyes. His last glimpse was of Lightberry's soft gaze as she shared a smile with him.

The nights were cooler, but not by much. The ground held the heat of the day and the six were warm through the night. It was comfortable and their exhaustion kept them asleep through the night. But that night was different. Duststripe woke up to a screech of pain.

His ears shot up and he rose to his paws automatically. His unfocused eyes searching for the threat. Had a fox found them? He searched in the shadows and saw a dark she-cat clawing Petal. The leader was up on her feet and fighting back but she hadn't been prepared and was being forced to the ground again.

Uttering a growl, Duststripe sprang for the she-cats. He swiped the dark she-cat with his claws. They caught in her loose fur, tearing. She shrieked and promptly bit his paw. Duststripe yowled and tried to pull away. She held on, releasing Petal. The red leader fell to the ground. Duststripe couldn't watch to see if she got up. He swung around on three feet, trying to pull away from the attacker. She let go, but sprang for him.

Just in time, a cat came to his rescue. The dark shadow flipped the attacker onto her back. Duststripe quickly smelled Cloverleaf and let her deal with the attacker. He turned around to find Petal. He was startled to see a white cat sneaking closer to the leader. Waterdrop was up, licking Petal's wounds. No one seemed to realize that the attacker had just been a decoy. Duststripe yowled the warning and then looked for other cats. Like he feared, he saw three other shadows enclosing them.

"It's the rogues!" He snarled, ready to spring on the white tom coming for his leader.

Just then, Lightberry screamed.

Duststripe halted and looked for her. The brown she-cat was trying to fight off a large cat. Its gray fur almost as brilliant in the light from the half moon as the white tom about to attack Petal. Duststripe was going to leave Lightberry to fight her own battle. Then he noticed what she was screaming about. Some cat was couched down, huddled over a squirming shape, its jaws in the kit's neck.

Duststripe roared in rage and bounded for the cat attacking his son. He hit the cat in the side, bowling it over. Startled, the cat released Frog. Frog gasped for breath, laying on the ground.

"Run!" Duststripe yowled at his son. He didn't watch Frog but kept his eyes on the cat that had dared try to kill a kit.

In the dark, it was hard to make out what cat it was, but the smell was familiar to Duststripe. As he crouched there, waiting to see who would attack first, he remembered where he'd smelled it before. In the bog. Duststripe had slipped on one of the high branches. Just before hitting the ground, his back legs caught onto another branch. A black tom had come down and tried to push him off. AT the time, Duststripe had frog in his mouth and was trying to protect both of them from hitting the ground. The rogue had almost succeeded pushing Duststripe and Frog off the branch before Cloverleaf saved Duststripe, knocking the black tom to the ground, unconscious. They'd escaped. But it looked like the tom was back.

Duststripe snarled and ran for the tom. The black tom echoed the cry and instead of running too, crouched farther down. Just before Duststripe hit, the tom jumped upward. Duststripe hit nothing. The tom came down, crashing into Duststripe.

Duststripe flipped around, pushing his back claws into the belly of the black tom. He pushed upward, flinging the other tom away. Duststripe hurriedly got up, but the other tom had landed on his feet and charged. The black tom hit Duststripe's shoulder, tearing with his sharp teeth. Blood spewed. Duststripe yowled, his face upward. He tried to shake the black tom off but the tom released him and promptly used his claws to knock Duststripe to the ground. Duststripe tried to get back on his feet, but the tom clawed the warrior's stomach. The black rogue jumped backward as Duststripe got up. He rushed for the black tom but the tom dodged. Enraged at constantly missing the other tom, Duststripe snarled and struck out with his tail. It hit the black tom and, distracted, he tried to bite Duststripe's tail.

Duststripe sprang for the other tom, his teeth aiming for the other's neck. He missed and his jaws closed over the black tom's foreleg. The rogue moaned and used his other leg to claw at Duststripe's face. Duststripe, keeping his hold on the other tom, flipped over, forcing the tom to roll. Duststripe released the tom and then quickly jumped on top of him. They became a bundle of random scratches and bites, no technique in their fighting. Nothing else mattered to Duststripe but hurting this tom.

A short time later, perhaps nothing more than a few heartbeats, Duststripe heard a yowl for retreat. Not knowing who called it, he wasn't willing to back away. He held onto the black tom when he tried to wiggle away. Another cat came to his rescue. The large gray she-cat, who battled Lightberry earlier, grabbed Duststripe's scruff and pulled. Duststripe, stunned didn't move. The black tom ran away and the gray she-cat released Duststripe, running with him.

Duststripe got up and started to run after them.

"Stop!" a sore voice yowled at him.

Duststripe stopped. He turned around, looking for the cat.

Her heavy breathing and limping shape was nearby. She walked for him and Duststripe breathed for her scent. It was Cloverleaf.

"Let them go," she meowed. "We've won for now. We need to make sure the others are okay."

Duststripe nodded, breathing heavily. He blinked and searched for the rest of the Clan cats. In the dark it was almost too hard to see, but he could make out the shapes of two cats fox lengths away. He hurried over. Suddenly, as he placed a paw down, his shoulder, the one the black tom had bit, flared. He gasped and tripped.

Cloverleaf rushed forward and supported him. She helped him over to the other cats. Waterdrop was trying to take care of Petal. She was wounded and it looked as if both leafcat and leader had fought. Duststripe sat down without a word and then looked for Lightberry.

He asked Cloverleaf where she was.

"I don't know," Cloverleaf meowed, her voice still scratchy. "Where's Frog?"

Duststripe's eyes widened and he leapt to his feet. Frog had run like Duststripe had said, but where had the kit gone? He looked with his eyes, but couldn't see anything. He started to leave the group, limping heavily. His wounded shoulder started bleeding again.

"Sit down," Cloverleaf snapped. "I'll find them."

She got up, her limp not as bad and quickly left, yowling out Frog's and Lightberry's names, her sore voice odd in the dark. Duststripe added her voice to his as he sat there. If he couldn't look, he could still encourage them to come back.

The sun was starting to rise when Lightberry came back. Cloverleaf had long given up searching for the two and had fallen asleep. Everyone was sleeping but Duststripe. He sat with his shoulders hunched, watching the still night. He'd clean himself off a bit but his wounds were still unattended. Waterdrop promised to find herbs in the morning. Duststripe started seeing a green-yellow light on the horizon when he heard the pawsteps hushing through the grass.

Duststripe's ears went up. He looked, his heart starting to sink as he wondered if the rogues were coming back. Then he saw the brown she-cat with the black spots. She was walking toward him, her steps slow but determined. Duststripe leapt up when he saw what was in her mouth. Frog, eyes open and scared, was being carried like he wanted.


	7. Chapter 6: Petal's Story

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_What comes next is a set of stories from five cats' pasts. I will start and end them in italics but the middle will be plain for you to read easier. See if you like them! These chapters are very long so you better be prepared._

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**Chapter 6**

"Tell me a story," Frog meowed suddenly.

Duststripe looked down at his son, surprised. He knew Lilyfern used to tell stories to her kits, but it had been three moons since Frog had been with his mother. Surely he didn't remember them. Surely he didn't expect to still be treated like a young kit? The tom was almost six moons old now and for the longest time he hadn't gotten any favors.

"What sort of story?" Lightberry asked.

She was walking beside Duststripe and his son. Petal had taken the front, Waterdrop behind her, and Cloverleaf, her wounds only scars now, was far behind, keeping watch for any cats sneaking up on them. The five rogues hadn't been seen for a while now. That did tend to happen. Duststripe would lose sight of the rogues for days and then seen them again. The journey had been all stop and go, weaving over the countryside. There were no more attacks from them either now that the six Clan cats kept a constant guard.

Currently they were walking over sloping ground. It was a hill slowly going up, covered in large boulders, and a few gorse bushes dotting the hill. Down below them, Duststripe could see the river they'd just crossed. It had taken half of the morning to find the stepping stones and then get Frog across. The kit had been scared of the rushing, white water. Cloverleaf had to encourage him by effortlessly leaping over and then staying by the kit's side the whole way. Frog seemed to look up to the dappled she-cat like he didn't to Duststripe.

"Any story," Frog shrugged. "Your story."

"Mine?" Lightberry looked surprised. "I don't have a story."

"Don't you?" Frog asked, looking up at her with wise eyes. "You didn't have anything exciting happen to you? No adventures in the forest?"

Duststripe and the others had told Frog about the forest, about their old Clan. Perhaps that seemed like a story to him and they'd always been walking for their whole existence. Duststripe didn't think his son remembered Lilyfern. Frog had only just started to eat meat when Sullen took over. Frog couldn't remember much at all about the past. He just listened to Duststripe when his father spoke of the camp and Lilyfern. It was through those stories Frog was actually seeing how a warrior was supposed to be. Duststripe knew that was the only way.

"Not that I can think of," Lightberry hesitantly meowed.

Her eyes glanced around. She didn't have to answer as a large boulder got in their way. She went one way around and Duststripe and his son went another. On the other side Duststripe came face to face with Petal. He shied away in surprise.

"Stories?" Petal asked.

She seemed interested. Her red fur was starting to go gray around her muzzle. Duststripe wondered if this journey was making her weak. Where was that leader he used to think nothing could bring her down? It was hard to imagine now. Everything had changed in the three moons of their fleeing. It seemed as if the old forest life had never been.

"Frog wants to hear some," Duststripe explained to Petal. "We aren't sure what to tell him. He wants life stories, not legends."

Petal nodded. Duststripe looked around for Waterdrop. The silver tom had continued walking, not interested in stories. He was almost to the top of the hill.

"I might know some," Petal meowed.

Duststripe looked back at her. Even Lightberry seemed surprised.

"Really?" Frog looked happy, balancing on his toes. "Would you tell some?"

Petal nodded with a smile. "I will. I think it's a good idea. I think everyone should tell one, at least once everyday."

Duststripe continued staring at his leader in surprise. Petal looked between him and Lightberry.

"I think it will get us closer together," Petal explained. "We should all know something about each other. We'll be together for a long time. Now, once Cloverleaf gets here, we're meeting Waterdrop at the top under that tree."

The red she-cat's tail waved. Duststripe saw at the top of the hill a large tree he hadn't noticed before. Waterdrop was making his way there. Petal must have sent him to be a scout to see if danger lay near the tree or on the other side of the hill.

"We'll stop for some food," Petal meowed, "and I will tell my story."

**_-Line-_**

_Petal crouched beside her mentor. The dark tabby she-cat's breathing was loud in the apprentice's ears. She could almost think Tigerlily was nervous. Petal didn't want to think that about her mentor. Tigerlily was brave and strong; so why was she nervous? Petal glanced up and saw the yellow of her mentor's eyes._

"Tigerlily?" the apprentice asked. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, just fine," Tigerlily meowed with a slightly wavering voice.

"You don't sound like it," Petal chided. "It's only a badger after all."

"But this is your first fight," Tigerlily meowed. "I don't know if I taught you right for this."

Petal felt annoyance. She wasn't helpless. She'd been learning for four moons. She knew how to fight. Glide, the white leader of Summerheat Camp, had sent them on this mission. He said it was an assessment. Every apprentice got them. They had to be tested on how well they hunted and fought. This was Petal's. She and her mentor had to chase away the badger that had just taken up residence inside the forest.

Petal looked out of the forest now. She looked out onto the field and the narrow stream that marked her Clan's territory. A few bushes and long grass hid the rabbits and large grouse and pheasants. She longed to hunt for them. Even the fish hiding in the stream, unaware of the weather change. It was leaf-bare (one without snow surprisingly) and the Clan was starting to get hungry. Instead, Glide wanted her to chase away this badger that was scaring off the prey.

She could see the badger's den now. The entrance was a mound of dirt in the roots of a mulberry bush. They were waiting for the badger to leave its den. Tigerlily wanted to fill in the den while the badger was gone, and then when it returned, fight it. Petal just wanted it over with. She was getting tired of sitting around doing nothing. It was past sunhigh now and she was starting to cramp, her fluffy leaf-bare fur not really holding out the cold breeze whistling through the trees.

Suddenly Tigerlily tensed. Petal's wandering attention came back and she saw a black and white snout poking out of the badger den. The wind was blowing toward the two cats and Petal could smell the strong scent of the badger. It made her golden eyes water. She narrowed them, forcing herself to pay attention to the badger. It had to leave the den all the way. It couldn't stay in there.

Slowly the lumbering beast pulled itself from the den. It paused just outside, sniffing the air. Petal thought it seemed as nervous as Tigerlily. It must not have been sure in its new territory. It took a few steps away from its den. Petal s ears went up as it continued away, walking deeper into the forest.

Petal started raising to her feet. Tigerlily saw her and hissed quietly at her to stop. Petal ignored her mentor. Tigerlily made a grab for Petal as the apprentice starting running for the badger. She was tired of waiting. It was time to attack! She rushed forward, a battle cry on her lips. The badger paused, surprised. It turned around and faced the young apprentice running for it. It braced itself.

Petal rushed for it and then before she made contact with the large open jaws, she veered to the side. The badger looked surprised and tried to face her again, but Petal flipped around and struck the black side with her claws.

"Petal!" Tigerlily's fearful cry came to her as the tabby mentor rushed forward.

The badger turned quicker than Petal was expecting. The large paw came for her, black claws sharp. Petal was hit and knocked over, winded. The badger leaned over her, its breath hot and disgusting. Petal winced as the jaws came for her. Then the badger was knocked marginally away. Tigerlily had come. The older warrior was on the badger's back, clawing with all her might. Petal jumped up and ran around the badger to bite its tail. She pulled and pulled, ripping down it with her claws, hoping to hurt the badger. The badger whirled, taking Petal off the ground. The red apprentice let go in surprise and was flung into a tree.

She hit, recovered quickly, and landed on the ground on her feet, running forward again. Tigerlily was off of the badger now, growling into its face. The badger roared right back but the tabby she-cat stood her ground, her ears not lowering in fear, her eyes hard and angry. Petal came from the other side, shrieking at the top of her lungs. The badger turned to face her, seeing her as easy prey. Tigerlily struck out, ripping the badger's face. It blinked in surprise and faced the mentor as Petal bit the badger's back leg. The leg stomped down, crushing Petal's feet. She wailed in pain as a claw pierced her flesh. The badger pressed up against her, smothering her with its shaggy pelt. Petal tried to pull away, but the badger moved sideways over her. Tigerlily couldn't see the apprentice anymore.

"Let go of my apprentice!" Tigerlily hissed, clawing the badger firmly on the nose.

The badger moved back and Tigerlily pressed forward. The front paws walked over Petal and she was revealed. The badger didn't stop as it backed away. Petal didn't get snapped up by the badger's jaws. The creature retreated onto the field. Tigerlily kept at it, her fur spread out, making her large.

Finally, when the badger turned away, Tigerlily ran back to her apprentice. Petal was dazed and bleeding but all right.

Tigerlily's head rested on her apprentice in relief. When Petal got up, Tigerlily smacked her apprentice firmly over the head. Petal sat down, hurt and surprised.

"Don't you ever do that again, you hear?" Tigerlily snarled into her apprentice's face. "You could have died, you fool! Listen to me next time."

Petal nodded. Tigerlily certainly wasn't nervous anymore but Petal could understand why now. She felt relieved she hadn't joined StarClan this day.

"Let's burry the den," Tigerlily sighed. "Then we'll go back. Your brother will patch you up."

_Petal nodded and then stood up. Her legs were shaky, but she managed to help her mentor fill in the hole under the mulberry bush._

_****__-Line-_

"So Frog," Petal meowed. "You must always listen to your mentor. They know what they're talking about."

The young gray and brown kit looked up at her, wide eyed, fearful just as Petal had been with the experience. She hadn't ever gone against Tigerlily again. She certainly hadn't been as impulsive but that could have been with age. She certainly wasn't impulsive now. Not only did she have to think every action through, she couldn't move as fast as she used to. It had been seasons since she was an apprentice.

"Do you have any more stories?" Frog asked. He'd finished his mouse. Everyone had finished eating by now. It felt good to rest this greenleaf day under the tree. Petal figured they had time for another. She saw how everyone else seemed interested too. She nodded.

"One more," she meowed.

**_-Line-_**

_Petal too got an apprentice. It was a few moons after she became a warrior. While Stream wasn't as_ impulsive as Petal had been, the white she-cat was as excitable. Stream was always running off, looking for fun. Just so as one time Petalfur was trying to teach her apprentice to hunt fish. They were out in the field on cloudy day. The rain was coming down in drizzles and it wasn't very comfortable but Petalfur knew this was the best time to hunt. The fish came up to the surface more often in the rain, trying to find bugs to eat. She stood on the stream bank staring down into the clear pebbled bottom at the dark shapes swimming beneath. She wasn't very good at fishing, not the best at all, but she knew the techniques.

"It's harder on a sunny day," Petalfur meowed, not realizing Stream wasn't by her side anymore. "They can see your shadow. So it's easier to learn on a cloudy day. You sit quietly, without sudden moves. Remember to aim above the fish you see."

It was kind of hard because the water kept flowing, distorting the view. Sometimes the fish would dart away even without Petalfur making a move. She didn't like fishing, but she knew she had to teach her apprentice how. Maybe Stream would be the next best fisher and it was up to Petalfur to teach her.

"You extend your claws and keep your leg firm," Petalfur continued, doing as she said. "Then you strike!"

Slowly her paw had gone down to the water and then she pushed it under, fighting against the current and the weight of the fish. She continued her swing and out came the fish from the water, her claws buried in its back. It flopped onto the bank and Petal dove for it, quickly ending its life before it got away from her, slipping over the stones back into the stream.

Joy filled her heart. She was so happy she'd actually caught one without mistakes! Stream must have been proud of her! Petalface looked up, ready to see her apprentice. Then she saw she was alone on the bank. There was no cat in sight, only muddy paw prints leading away over the rocks.

Petalfur felt annoyed. Stream kept doing that to her; never saying when she'd leave or anything. She just got up and left. Petalfur left the fish and jumped up to the field. She looked around for her apprentice. She quickly saw a shape farther down the stream side. She raced over. That was when she saw it was more than one shape. There was another cat there and three kits, with Stream on top of one of them.

Petalfur pushed herself to go forward, determined to save the kit from her apprentice. She was surprised that the other cat showed no anger or shock, just was sitting happily as the two young cats tussled. Petalfur reached them as Stream stood up, waving her tail proudly.

Petalfur pulled her apprentice back by her tail. The white she-cat squeaked in surprise, claws out. The queen with the three kits got up, hissing angrily at Petalfur. The kits ran behind her, almost falling over the bank and into the stream in an effort to hide.

"I'm sorry for my apprentice's behavior," Petalfur meowed, bowing her head to the silver queen when Stream was far enough away. "She shouldn't have attacked your kit."

"Attack?" the queen asked. She sounded surprised.

Petalfur glanced up and saw that the she cat didn't know what to make of Petalfur's subversive manner and calm voice. The queen couldn't stay mad if Petalfur wasn't threatening her.

"She wasn't attacking," the queen continued.

Petalfur sat up straight. "But I saw-"

"She was playing. Glory challenged her and your. . . apprentice started playing. I had to get my other kits across the stream so I asked her to watch Glory."

Petalfur looked at Stream. The white apprentice nodded her head vigorously. "I was only helping."

Petalfur sighed and shook her head. Her apprentice was still a kit! She wasn't ready to become a warrior at all.

"I'm sorry for my mistake," Petalfur meowed. Now the queen probably thought Clan cats were crazy.

"It's all right," the silver queen meowed, smiling. "At least you thought you were protecting my kits."

Petalfur nodded and watched as the kits came out from behind their mother. The first was a silver she-cat liked her mother. The other two were toms, one yellow the other a brown tabby. Petalfur saw they looked healthy. If this mother was a loner, she seemed to be doing well on her own.

"This is Glory," the silver queen meowed, brushing her tail on the sliver kit. "This is Bark, and this is Sunny."

The two toms glared up at Petalfur, trying to act protective of their mother. Petalfur smiled back at them, amused by their kitness.

"So where were you heading?" Petalfur asked the queen.

The queen tensed. "Anywhere," she sighed.

"Would you like to join my Clan?" Petalfur asked, ears forward with interest. "They'll help take care of your kits."

"Clan?" the queen suddenly looked nervous. "No, I don't like large groups of cats."

"Oh," Petalfur meowed, sad. She'd only offered help and wandering around with three growing kits wasn't exactly safe. They could get killed by wild animals.

"Are you sure?" Petalfur asked. "You'll be safe with us and fed."

"I-I know," the queen meowed, not meeting Petalfur's eyes, "but I've learned it's better for me to be alone. I'm grateful for your help, but I should be going."

She stood up. Her kits quickly followed her.

Petalfur watched her go with surprise. "If you change your mind," Petalfur called after the queen, "just find my camp in the forest and say I said it was okay!"

"I will," the queen yelled back over her shoulder. The three kits looked back as well.

"Bye, Glory," Stream called.

"Bye," the she-kit squeaked.

Then apprentice and mentor were left alone in the rain. Some thunder rumbled over head as the storm threatened to become hard.

"Do you think they'll be all right?" Stream asked as they watched the four disappear.

Petalfur looked down at her apprentice. "The world is a dangerous place," Petalfur meowed. "But if she's managed this far with those three, I'm sure she'll be safe.  
Now let's get back to fishing. You didn't see the one I caught."

Stream winced and followed her mentor back to the stream and the dead fish.

Only a quarter moon later as Petalfur and her apprentice were on a border patrol with her brother, Redfoot, they saw the silver queen again.

"Petalfur, Petalfur!" the red warrior heard her apprentice shriek.

Heart pounding, she raced to the area, Redfoot behind her. They found a gory sight when they got to Stream. At the white apprentice's feet lay the sliver queen. She'd been ripped open and broken.

"Foxes," Redfoot spat.

Petalfur looked around. She couldn't see any now and this death wasn't fresh. Only fur and bones were left. She'd been picked clean by bugs and birds.

"But Petalfur," Stream meowed. "Where are the kits?"

Petalfur's eyes widened. She now searched for kits instead of fox. She nosed her way around the death scene. Looking for the three kits.

"Glory! Sunny! Bark!" she yowled. If the kits were hiding, they'd come. But they didn't.

Redfoot found one of the kits.

"Here!" her brother called.

Stream and Petalfur came running. Nearby, under a bush, a small scrap of silver fur hung off of scattered bones. It was the silver kit Glory. She'd been killed. Stream sobbed, pressing herself against Petalfur. The red warrior stared down at the bundle. She had a feeling this was what had become of the two other kits. They hadn't even been that old. Perhaps just four moons or so. They would have never survived.

"She should have come to us," Stream sobbed.

"She had her reasons," Petalfur tried to comfort. "Perhaps that was what she was doing when the foxes got her."

Stream closed her eyes. Redfoot pressed up against the apprentice and stared at Petalfur.

_"We'll burry them," he promised._

_Petalface nodded._

_****__-Line-_

"That wasn't a happy story," Frog mewed, his eyes downcast. Everyone else seemed to think the same. Petal could see that Lightberry and Waterdrop had shining eyes. Duststripe wouldn't meet her eyes and Cloverleaf was attempting not to seem affected.

"That is life," Petal meowed. "Life has its ups and its down. We can in no way change that. Of course a happier note to this tale is that Stream became a bit more withdrawn and actually learned from me. She became a diligent warrior and compassionate to all loners and rogues. Her warrior name was Streaminglight."

Petal smiled over at Duststripe.

"That warrior mentored your father. As you can see, life also goes on through the sad times. Just as Stream and I made it through the death of the queen, so we will now make it through the loss of our camp."

The other's looked at her in devotion. Petal knew they counted on her to hold them together. It was such a hard responsibility, but one she took seriously. She had to help them through this. Even if they never got Summerheat back, she had to make sure they made it through whatever journey they were taking now.

"It's time to move," Petal meowed standing up. "We have a lot of ground to cover."

She wasn't sure where they were going, but she felt as if she had to go on, that something drew her. Sometimes she knew they weren't going in a straight path or as quickly as they could have. They'd relaxed since they hadn't seen the five in a while. Petal hoped they'd turned back, giving up. Three moons were a lot of time for Sullen to really be after them still. The yellow tom certainly had Summerheat Camp as his by now.

The bright blue sky shone overhead and the grass waved around them, yellow flowers poking up in groups. Even purple flowers of clover dotted the hill side as it sloped downward. Frog ran over to look at it, batting at it with kit-sharp claws and then racing downward again.

"Slow down!" Duststripe called after his son, racing after the kit.

Petal smiled as she watched them. She didn't mind that she'd never had kits of her own she loved all the apprentices as her own, but now she wondered what life would have been like if she had been a mother.

"Will there be more stories?" Frog asked, running back to Petal.

"Yes," Petal promised. "I will tell you one more today about myself, but later tonight. First we have to get to that next hill."

Frog stood up on his toe tips and strained to look over the small valley between. It wasn't a very long way, but to this kit that exhausted easily, it would take a while for the small group. Petal knew they should be on their way.

"Lightberry, scout the front, Duststripe the back," Petal ordered.

The two brown warriors faded off, Lightberry hurrying down the hill like an apprentice. Duststripe left after licking his son on the head and making him promise to listen to Cloverleaf and Petal. Frog promised. The group then started down the hill, leaving Duststripe on the hill as he watched the land behind them, eyes sharp for movements of cats.

* * *

**Petal's warrior name is Petalfur, but the Erin's chose it for their own cat in RiverClan. For a short while I had Petal's warrior name as Petalface, but now I've changed it back to the original one. It flows a lot better and many people have used the Erin's names before.**


	8. Chapter 7: Petal and Light

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers:_ xXthunderspiritXx, Graysky, xXXMoonfireXXx, Ginnystar, Anidori-Isilee, Wolfgaze,_ and_ xxSnowfirexx.

_This is still a story. They will start and end with italics, but the middle will be normal._

_vote for your favorite main character (of my fanfics) on my profile. So far one vote for Fallingsnow(star)!_

Graysky_, I will reveal the answer to your question in probably ten chapters. I don't know when, but Raven and the rest of the old Clan will make an appearance._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_Time moved on in Summerheat. Petalfur became one of the senior warriors. Then a mysterious thing happened one day. Goldengrove, the deputy, didn't return from a patrol. Glide sent warriors to find the golden tabby she-cat but _no one ever could. The last to see her was Redfoot, but Petalfur's brother could only say Goldengrove wanted him to leave. He hadn't seen the reason to fight against his deputy and did as asked. Besides, this wasn't the first time she'd done such a thing. The last time Goldengrove disappeared, she had kits a few moons later.

Everyone thought this was the same. That she'd come back after being with her rogue tom. Unfortunately, she didn't come back for one moon and Glide knew it was serious. It was time for a new deputy. He'd sent out warriors for her, but they caught neither sight nor scent of her and had to give up. Glide took to the Low Branch the night he decided Goldengrove wasn't returning.

"She was a great deputy," he meowed. His body was hunched over, not only in sadness, but with age. All of the apprentices in his day were in the elders den, many having died.

"But she made her decision, whether she left us to live a better life, or that she's gone to StarClan, we must accept that she is not coming back to us," Glide sighed. "Not since my days as Glidingcloud have I had to make such a hard decision. Goldengrove was with me since I took on my leadership from Dark. Life with her was easy for me, but now I realize I have to choose a cat that will likely take leadership from me. It has been a hard decision as there are many wonderful cats in this Clan. Many who are wise, young, and even great leaders, but hardly any have as much experience in life and death as the cat I will call. She has gone through everything: near death experiences, not listening to mentors, having an apprentice not listen to her, giving and receiving help, learning all techniques even if she failed many times. A cat of patience and reliability. I call Petalfur to be the deputy. In the sight of StarClan, I ask you to accept her."

Petalfur looked up in surprise. She hadn't realized he thought so highly of her. Now she looked up at her leader and realized what he was giving her. When he was gone, the Clan was hers and she had to guide them through hard times as well as easy, but it would be the hard ones they'd rely on her the most.

The Clan yowled their agreement to the sky. They didn't object to this decision of Glide's. They didn't often disagree with the leader, but there were times it happened. Petalfur knew she'd have to accept the times the Clan wouldn't listen or agree with her. It was hard to believe that would actually happen to her. Petalfur, a leader?

"Come here, Petalfur," Glide invited her.

Petalfur got up on her numb legs and stood right under the Low Branch staring up at the long furred white leader. His green eyes looked down at her in compassion, probably remembering his own ceremony.

"Petalfur, do you accept this responsibility of watching out for the Clan and being the cat they will trust to help them when I cannot?"

She nodded, unable to talk.

"Then I ask StarClan to accept this new deputy of Summerheat and help her to do your will," Glide meowed, head tilted to the stars that they could see through the clearing of trees.

The Clan called out Petalfur's name. Among them she could pick out Redfoot, Waterdrop, Desertfur, and Clearecho calling out the loudest. These were her friends and family. The cats she'd known all her life. She smiled at them, knowing that she wasn't alone. She had them with her and no_ matter what they wouldn't guide her wrong. They'd tell her if she wasn't doing what she was supposed to or if the Clan was frustrated with her. She closed her eyes and let their calls fill her heart._

_****__-Line-_

"Now you know the highlights of my life," Petal meowed to Frog where he was curled up in her belly fur. He wasn't listening. He was sleeping already exhausted by the trek. Now they were at rest, sheltered and waiting for morning to come.

"So becoming leader wasn't one?" Lightberry asked, looking at her leader.

"Not really," Petal confessed. "I'd already expected it once Glide called me as deputy. So after he died from the greencough, it felt natural. The Clan were calling me Petal once they knew."

"What about-" Cloverleaf started to ask.

"Another time," Petal laughed. Her laughter was raspy and it gave evidence to her age. She might have been fit, but she was still old and soon she'd start to show it. Even Waterdrop, who was older than she, was starting to walk with a slower step. Petal finally had to admit to herself they weren't just going slow for Frog, but for her. She didn't want to be old, she realized. There was so much to do and what if she died out here away from camp. Would StarClan be able to find her? Who would lead these five other cats without her? She had a feeling she'd have to look out for the right cat very soon.

"You all have stories to tell," Petal meowed, looking between them. "When you're done, I may tell you more, but I can't take up all the time."

Lightberry seemed disappointed.

"So who goes next?" she asked.

"You can," Petal suggested.

Lightberry vigorously shook her head.

"I will," Cloverleaf offered.

"Then next sunhigh, you will start," Petal told her.

Cloverleaf nodded, accepting.

Petal was actually interested in hearing her warriors' stories. She didn't know them personally. That had ended as the cats her age and older left to StarClan and the ones younger only knew her as leader and weren't friendly with her. They saw her as a leader, the decision maker, not as a friend. Bluelightning had to be the go between, just like Petalface had been for Glide.

Petal knew there were many other stories she could have told, but those had been the ones she thought important and ones she thought influenced her the most. She wondered what the others would tell. She lowered her head, seeing Duststripe take up the night guard position. She wondered what stories he had to tell and if he would make them exciting for his son. Petal wondered what it would have been like to have a kit. But she knew the only cat she'd ever love hadn't seemed so interested in family life as her. She wondered if in this new life of running there would even be time to finally ask him if he loved her. She glanced over at the silver-gray tom and felt glad that he'd been by her side all the time, even after Redfoot died in the same greencough wave that had killed Glide.

She closed her eyes and let herself drift, remembering her life as a plain warrior.

**_-Line-_**

The next day came, and Frog was up early. The sun was only starting to light up the sky. Frog was by Cloverleaf's side, staring at her when she opened her eyes.

"It's your turn," Frog whispered to her.

Cloverleaf blinked at him and closed her eyes, too tired.

Frog frowned at her.

Duststripe meanwhile, _mrrred_ with pleasure. His son was humorous at times. He also certainly needed to be told 'no' once-and-awhile. This was a good time to learn. Duststripe knew his son was spoiled. He was the only kit in their group. Yet Frog also wasn't spoiled because no kit would have been expected to do all this, walk and wait for food, and sometimes not getting any. It was almost like his son was already an apprentice.

As Frog went to bother Waterdrop, who'd gone in search of more strengthening herbs, Duststripe wondered who would mentor his son. He wanted it to be a good cat but at the same time he doubted anyone would have time to teach Frog. They were on the run. When would they teach Frog to fight or to hunt?

Duststripe looked in the direction of the rising sun. He couldn't see the forest at all now, just rolling hills of grass and the occasional tree. Tanglewood was far behind. Duststripe missed his old life. He missed being in a Clan and knowing what to expect. He liked the patrols and the hunting and the relaxing, knowing he was home and not having to look over his shoulder all the time. All this walking wasn't what he wanted. He knew he could never handle being a loner. They always seemed to travel.

"Frog!"

Duststripe looked over. It was Lightberry. She'd brought prey. Now she was calling Frog back to them. Waterdrop was nowhere in sight. Duststripe wondered how the tom had lost the kit. He could see Frog pouncing on top of a grasshopper, throwing it into the air. At Lightberry's second call, the kit came running, his tail waving in the air.

"Look what I brought you!" Frog proudly told her. He placed the grasshopper at her feet.

"Good job!" Lightberry praised. "It's big!"

Frog purred happily.

"As a reward," the brown she-cat told him. "You get first pick."

Frog looked at her catch and picked out the rabbit. It was bigger than the kit. Lightberry let him take it, smiling in amusement.

"Think you would share?" Duststripe asked his son, coming over.

Cloverleaf got up, roused by the smell of blood. Petal slowly opened her eyes. She seemed to sleep later and later. Duststripe hoped she'd feel better soon. He didn't know what they'd do without her.

"Okay," Frog agreed. He put the rabbit down, which he hadn't managed to drag far.

The rest of the prey was distributed and they ate, waiting for the order to move again. They didn't have much relaxing time when they were walking. Only when they felt safe and didn't see the rogues would they take most of the morning to start again.

Waterdrop came back later with herbs. He passed them around and they started walking over the empty hills and to the long horizon. Sunhigh almost came too soon for the rest of the cats. They stopped and laid around in the sunlight. Duststripe looked into the sky. The sunlight seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. He knew greenleaf was ending. Soon the rains would come. He hoped they wouldn't be stuck out in them. He wished they'd find a forest soon.

Cloverleaf sat up, getting ready to tell her story. Lightberry abruptly jumped in before the dappled she-cat could continue.

"I'd like to do mine, if you don't mind," Lightberry meowed.

Cloverleaf looked surprised. She'd volunteered last night to tell her story. Lightberry had looked like telling hers would have been torture. It seemed she'd changed her mind.

"We might as well go oldest to youngest," Lightberry meowed with a small smile.

"In that case, Waterdrop should have gone first," Petal smiled at the silver tom.

He only looked slightly amused. Duststripe knew Waterdrop didn't like talking. He certainly never said much unless he was extremely annoyed. Duststripe had only experienced that a few times and didn't want to again. Only Petal could get away with teasing the leafcat. Waterdrop didn't look like he'd share his story. He kept his mouth closed and looked back at Petal.

"You don't mind if Lightberry goes first?" Petal asked Cloverleaf.

The dappled she-cat shook her head and laid back down. "Go ahead."

"Thanks," Lightberry smiled.

Frog, meanwhile, curled up beside Duststripe, looked interested. Duststripe was sure he didn't care who told the story as long as someone did. Frog was just interested in how the older cats behaved with each other. Duststripe was sure if Frog's brothers were around, they'd be practicing letting the other cat take their turn. With that thought Duststripe's mind wandered to his other sons, Fox and Bee. He wondered how they were and what they were learning. Did Sullen follow the code or had he made the kits apprentices too soon?

"I'll start with life when I was a kit," Lightberry meowed, drawing attention.

Duststripe looked up at her and thought she looked regal. The sun lit up her fur and even if she wasn't big on sharing things about herself, Duststripe could already tell she was a great storyteller.

Frog's ears perked up as Lightberry gazed at the kit, seeming to speak directly to the tom.

_**-Line-**_

_Light and Dusk were like opposites. Though their coloring wasn't opposite- he was dark dusky ginger and she was_ light brown with dusty gray spots- the differences were in their personalities. He was excitable and adventurous. She was more reserved and loved staying in the nursery by their mother. However when Dusk came to her with an idea, she never let him down, eager to go with him anywhere. Such was the case one newleaf morning.

Their mother was still sleeping. She was so far the only queen in the nursery and her two kits managed to exhaust her. Dusk came up to Light, over the bundles of moss and feathers, and nudged his sister awake.

"Let's explore," he meowed.

That was her cue. Light got up, carefully untangling from her mother and snuck toward the nursery entrance with Dusk. The nursery was a large rose bush, shaped into a gloomy, warm dome. Large thorns had been trained to poke outward in a protective shell. Currently, rose flowers were in bloom, filling the camp with their strong scent. Light knew it would cover her and her brother's own. She giggled, thinking how this was like hunting prey. She hadn't done that yet, but her father, Silvertips, said that the hunter had to be quiet. She crouched down, moving one foot in front of the other. They hopped out of the entrance, pushing away the brambles placed in front of it.

One scratched her ear. She stifled a painful squeak and hurried after her brother.

Out in the grassy clearing, no cats stirred. Leaves were starting to grow on the trees and bird calls twittered above them. The chilled morning air stung Light's scratch and she licked a paw, swiping it over her wound. The sun was barely over the horizon, covering what it could reach in a golden color. Dusk looked around and then marched for the forest. Light hurried after.

"Where are we going?" she whispered.

"The field," he whispered back.

Light looked at him in surprise. She'd only heard about the field from Mother who hunted rabbits there. Light didn't even know where it was! They'd have to go through all that forest to reach it! Light looked at Dusk doubtfully.

"Trust me," he purred, his eyes shining.

Light smiled. She trusted him.

Dusk started walking again, Light by his side. The clearing was large but they finally crossed it. Light was not yet exhausted, but her legs ached. That had been too much sneaking! She stood up straight, giving that up. There wasn't any need to hide anymore. No cat would find them now that they were out of the clearing.  
Once in the forest, they had to cross a fallen log. Light stared up at the smooth side, feeling down. They'd never get over that, she thought, but Dusk had an idea. He crouched down, telling Light to get onto his back. She did. He stood up slowly, getting Light halfway up. Light wobbled on her brother's back. Her claws came out and he winced.

"Jump already," he encouraged.

Light jumped for the log. Her claws dug in and she pulled herself up. Soon she was at the top. She looked around, her chest filled with pride at what she'd accomplished. She looked at the forest, thick with growing ferns and bushes and was in awe. The place was so big. Golden drops of dew covered everything, some larger drops falling to the ground in small puddles. Light's brother joined her a while later. He was breathing heavily.

"Now where?" she asked, turning away from the beauty.

"Follow me," he mewed.

She did. Somehow they got out of the forest unharmed. Of course it took almost the whole day and Light longed to go back to the nursery. She was hungry and tired but Dusk led her on. He was determined to find the field. Light trailed after, bored. She'd always thought the forest was exciting, full of prey and foxes. She'd seen nothing and complained about it. Dusk told her they'd see something. They never did. Light wished her mother would come and rescue her. She wanted to be back in the warm den. She thought she heard calls but she wasn't sure and didn't call back.

Then they found the field. The forest just ended and out stretched the longest clearing Light had ever seen and she thought she'd seen a lot. Bushes, rabbits, flowers, tall grass to hide in. Light was suddenly not tired as she looked at this field. She yowled in joy and raced out. Dusk followed, calling out just as happily.

Dusk pounced on Light and they tussled for a short time in the tall grass. Then they played scent-and-track, hiding and then springing out at each other. Once they even chased a rabbit around. Light soon grew tired again and realized the sun was starting to sink. She'd gone so long without a nap! Wouldn't mother be furious!

Light looked around, wondering where her brother was so she could encourage him to take her back to camp. She couldn't find him at first and then she saw him at the far end of the field where there was a dark line. She wandered over. He was staring down a slope. Light joined him and looked down too. Below them was a stream. It was the biggest stream she'd ever seen! She looked down at it, watching shapes below the water. She wanted to jump on them. To take them out of the water to see what they were. Just then Dusk stood up.

"Want to see what I can do?" he asked her.

Light nodded vigorously. It had to be something exciting. He didn't do boring things.

Dusk stood up and along the edge of the slope, started walking in a straight line. Light watched breathlessly. He was actually balancing on the edge! Small trails of dirt trickled down the slope at every step. The dark shapes darted away when some fell into the water. Then Dusk came to a rock. He leapt on top and then started balancing on three feet, then two. Finally he lifted up both his back legs and started balancing on his front.

Light cheered. He was so great and brave. She'd never do anything like that herself. She wouldn't have been able to think of it. Now she wanted to go do it. She walked over but in that instant someone shouted.

Light looked up just as Dusk flinched, startled. He fell. Light turned away from the three cats coming toward them and stared at the rock. Her brother wasn't there anymore. Light's eyes widened and she raced forward, not noticing the other cats do the same. Light ran to where her brother had been. She looked for him and saw him at the bottom of the slop, halfway in the gently moving water. He lay next to a smaller rock. On top of the rock, Light thought she saw something red and wet. Just then the warriors arrived.

One cat dove over the slope side, running down to Dusk. The other three stayed with Light, one pulling her away from the edge. Light protested, she wanted to see her brother. Why wasn't he moving? She tried to slip away but the cat grasped her by the scruff and started carrying her away.

"What do I do? What do I do?" the ginger cat by her brother yowled. "Do I move him?"

"I don't know!" the gray she-cat yelled back. "Leave him. I'll get Silvertips."

Light knew her father was the senior leafcat. She also knew that whenever anyone got the leafcat, something serious had happened. She felt scared for the first time.

"Dusk!" she wailed. "Dusk!"

But the cat holding her continued to _take her away. Back to her mother, back to camp. Light didn't think she'd ever see her brother again._

* * *

*****I know I said I wouldn't update until summer. I thought I'd be busy. I think I might have a way to work this out so I can update once a week. Hurray! I don't know about Unkown Skies though. I'll have to see.**

**Hey if you want to know the allegiances of the old Clan (during Petal's apprentice story) look down:**

**Leader** Glide- long-furred tom with green eyes  
**Deputy** Goldengrove- golden tabby she-cat with dark black ears  
**Leafcats** Creamfur- creamy brown she-cat (**apprentice:** Water)  
Silvertips- black and gray tom with silver paws, ears, and tail

**Warriors**

Whiteleaf- white she-cat with two brown spots  
_apprentice: Mist  
_Stormshadow- dark gray she-cat with silver chest and creamy paw, Glide's mate  
Windheart- silver she-cat with tortoiseshell back  
Brownfur- dark tabby tom  
_apprentice: Feather_  
Tawnyear- dappled tom with white ear  
Dawningsun- silvery-white she-cat with ginger belly  
Voletail- brown tom with missing tail  
Tigerlily- dark brown tabby she-cat  
_apprentice: Petal_  
Narrowtail- black she-cat with small tail  
Fallingtree- ginger tom with striped legs and green eyes  
_Apprentice: Red_

**Apprentices**

Feather- light gray she-cat with creamy underbelly  
Mist-gray she-cat  
Clear- white she-cat with a brown chin  
Water- silver gray tom with blue eyes  
Petal- red-brown she-cat with light gray spots  
Red- ginger tom with white tail tip

**Queens**

Cherrynose- light brown she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Brownfur's two kits: Dawn (gray she-cat with golden eyes) and Forest (white tom with silver legs and green eyes)

**Elders  
**Gingerflame- large ginger tom with one white paw  
Flickerbreeze- gray she-cat with white and black spots  
Swiftclaw- brown and ginger tom


	9. Chapter 8: Lightberry's Story Continues

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers:_ Graysky, xXXMoonfireXXx, Anidori-Isilee, Chat et Chocolat, Darkness of the Eclipse, _and_ xXThunderspiritXx.

_and to you silent readers._

_Summery: Sullen and his rogues took over Summerheat camp. Petal and five other cats run away and are hunted by Sullen's rogues. They leave Tanglewood to find safety. On the way they share stories of what happened in their pasts. If you don't remember what happened last week, reread the very end of the last chapter._

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"Did he die?" Frog asked, his eyes wide as he stared at Lightberry.

She'd gone silent, closing her eyes and swallowing. Duststripe felt chilled. Just hearing this story made him feel like he was there. He shared Lightberry's pain. He knew what it was like to lose the only sibling he had.

"No," Lightberry finally meowed. Her eyes opened again and she looked at Frog. "But it would have been better if he had."

Petal gasped and stared at Lightberry. Duststripe was surprised as well. He was shocked that Lightberry had said that, but he was even more surprised that Petal was startled. It took a lot to disturb Petal. She'd seen so much and lived a long life. What could make her so surprised? He peered at the two she-cats waiting for more. He could feel Frog tense beside him.

"How can you say that?" Petal asked, continuing to stare.

"You know what he did," Lightberry meowed. "What do you think would have happened if he had died that day?"

Her eyes went to Cloverleaf. The dappled she-cat looked a bit confused. Lightberry sighed and closed her eyes.

"Perhaps we'll continue this another time," Lightberry meowed.

Petal nodded. Duststripe realized that sunhigh had passed. He looked behind them but he didn't see anyone. The five rogues hadn't come back. There was nothing behind them. They were safe for now, but who knew for how much longer.

"You can't end there!" Frog protested as everyone started to stand. "What happened? What did he do?"

"I'll tell you later," Lightberry promised. "But I don't know if my story is appropriate. You wanted a story about me, but now it seems to be about my brother."

"A story is still a story," Petal meowed, placing a tail over Lightberry's shoulder. "It reflects your spirit by the way you tell it. It still helps us get to know you."

Lightberry nodded but she still seemed doubtful. Duststripe walked next to her as Petal took the lead. Waterdrop and Cloverleaf went to the back, waiting for everyone to leave so she could protect them.

"I'm not sure I want to continue," Lightberry meowed as she walked beside Duststripe.

Frog was trailing after Petal, asking her more about Summerheat. He wanted to know about all the cats in it. Petal told him what she could. Duststripe was glad his son was not here to listen to him and Lightberry. Not only would Frog be shocked at not hearing the end, he wouldn't understand what Lightberry was going through.

"You don't have to," Duststripe told her. "Cloverleaf won't mind telling her story."

"I feel I must," Lightberry meowed. "I started it. Cloverleaf needs to know."

Duststripe glanced at her. He wasn't sure what she meant. Now he had a feeling why Lightberry wanted to tell her story first. It had something to do with Cloverleaf and if Cloverleaf had gone first that would have ruined Lightberry's story. Duststripe could only comfort his friend. He leaned against her and quickly licked her head. She licked him back and they started walking once more. The sun was in front of them, leading the way.

That night Duststripe thought he could make out clouds on the horizon behind them. A storm was coming. Duststripe wondered what time it would reach them. When it did, would they be outside in it or safe under their bush? Right now they were under a very large and leafy bush. He and the others curled up, ready to sleep.

"As I said before, Dusk didn't die," Lightberry meowed.

All eyes were on her as the sun sank below sight. It looked as if Lightberry would continue with her story. Duststripe gave her his full attention, wanting to find out all about her and the story she was sad to tell.

"That doesn't mean he recovered," Lightberry continued. She sighed and looked upward as if picturing the hidden sky. Silverpelt twinkled down on her in a silver swath of light. Duststripe could see the glow behind the leaves even if he couldn't directly see the stars.

"After staying in the leafcat's den for a moon or so, he came back to the nursery with me but I could see the change in him. No longer was he the adventurous kit he used to be. No longer did he have fun ideas. Outwardly he was fine, other than the scar on the side of his face. Inside, he'd been changed. When I was around him, I could tell the difference. He would stare off into space and then suddenly jump.

"That wasn't the worst part. When I was young, I didn't understand when he would wander off without me. He used to invite me everywhere with him. After the accident, he didn't. He'd leave without a word. Everyone watched out for him but they thought he was strange. I'd see their fur raise around him. He didn't seem to notice. For a long time he didn't seem to notice a lot. He just lived, not talking often. He only really started to pay attention when we were apprentices. We all started to believe he was finally healing. He listened to his mentor, learned how to hunt and to battle. He was quick and nothing seemed wrong with him but he wasn't like he used to be and cats were starting to fear him. Sometimes he'd sit quietly, glaring at everyone. I know Glide, leader at the time, wanted to get rid of him, but there was no excuse to do so, no reason. So my brother stayed a Clan member. Until one dark day."

**_-Line-_**

_The day started bright with light streaming in from the cracks in the leaves. The den would have to be repaired again, fitted with twigs, branches and new leaves. She was so glad she didn't have to do it ever again. Lightberry breathed in deep. Just a quarter moon ago she'd become a warrior. Her training had been long, but she felt she'd done a good job. Unfortunately her father's death marred the occasion. Silvertips had finally died, but Waterdrop's apprentice, Dance, had become Dancingeyes. There were still two leafcats in the Clan._

Lightberry looked around for her brother. The ginger warrior seemed to be gone again from the warrior's den. Lightberry sometimes caught him around the nursery even as an apprentice. She wondered if he was remembering his time as a kit. She didn't think it was on purpose. She had a feeling it was part of the head injury he hadn't really recovered from. She wished she could help him out of his problem. She wished her brother was whole again. She didn't want him to be so strange.

He hadn't seemed to like his warrior ceremony. Probably not even when his mentor gave him a new name. Lightberry wasn't sure she understood why Brownfur had given Dusk the name of Crookedclaw. Brownfur claimed it was for Dusk's claws which weren't straight at all. However, Lightberry had a feeling Brownfur was mocking her brother for having a crooked, off balanced mind. Soon after Crookedclaw got his name, Brownfur moved into the elders den.

_I better go find him_, Lightberry sighed, thinking of her brother. She got out of her warm nest and started to leave the den. Just then, Desertfur awoke. "Come on a patrol with me?" he asked her, not bothering to lower his voice. The rest of the cats were starting to wake up and if they weren't, they should have been.

Lightberry nodded. She didn't want to refuse a senior warrior, not when she was just new. She also didn't want to refuse him because he was one of the oddest cats of the Clan. She knew he hadn't been born to the Clan but had wandered in from somewhere already warrior age. He was one of the few adopted members of the Clan.

The sandy brown tom with a dark face and long tufted ears stretched and then left the den. Lightberry followed him silently. On leaving the den she was surprised not to see Crookedclaw near the nursery. She was sure he'd be there, sitting among the thick shadows. She looked around a bit more but still couldn't see him in the clearing. She continued to look for him as she walked, but they were soon in the forest and she had to pay attention to where she set her feet.

Lightberry blinked in the early morning greenleaf sunlight. Everything looked so soft. Dust floated in the air, falling slowly through the sky. Quick shadows scattered the light as birds darted in the treetops. Everything seemed peaceful. She hoped the rogues on the territory wouldn't bother them again. Lately more rogues had gathered in the forest. As an apprentice she had to defend many of her catches. Especially from one yellow tom and his brown tabby companion. Luckily she knew more fighting moves than he did and her hunting patrol was there to back her up.

Desertfur and Lightberry went to one of the borders in the forest and along the way they scent marked. The territory was large and the patrols usually only got to part of it each day. Lightberry didn't think they really needed to scentmark, but it did warn the rogues where the Clan's territory was. The Clan didn't really care if they trespassed as they weren't allowed to attack non Clanmembers. However, it did matter if the rogues attacked them or tried to steal prey from the Clan. Lately, though, as the rogue numbers increased, Lightberry knew many Clan members were attacking sometimes just if they saw a rogue, frustrated that these non Clanmembers had so many rights. Lightberry wasn't one of these cats but she knew of them.

They scentmarked until sunhigh, getting to the field where the Clan hunted rabbits. As they entered the area, Lightberry was reminded of the accident that ruined her brother. Sometimes she wished she could turn back time. She wished that their mother had woken up or they'd become too tired to continue. She wished her brother was here beside her instead of the senior warrior.

Desertfur and Lightberry finished the field and then started back to camp. When they got there, things were in an uproar, cats running around and loud cries everywhere. Lightberry could see many cats leaving, running through the trees. The shadows scattered in their wakes. She wondered if the camp been attacked.

"What happened?" Desertfur demanded to the nearest cat.

His friend, the deputy Petalfur, answered.

"Two of Clearecho's kits are missing."

She hadn't been the deputy for long but everyone trusted her and listened to her.

Desertfur's eyes widened. Lightberry was sure that he was the father of the kits. No one had said so but everyone assumed. Desertfur cared so much for them. Lightberry knew he had to be feeling very frightened. In fact so was she. This was bringing up too many memories. What if something happened to those to kits?

"How long?" she demanded.

"Since this morning," Petalfur meowed. "Clearecho noticed they were missing. She asked Clover what had happened, but the kit just said they wanted to explore, but Flower and Stripe left her because they said she was too loud."

"They can't have gotten far," Desertfur meowed. His eyes anxiously scanned the clearing.

"That's what we said last time," Glide meowed, watching Lightberry. He'd come up from his den below the Low Branch. He was getting old so it surprised everyone when he invited Desertfur to go searching with him.

"I will," Desertfur meowed.

Lightberry started to follow them into the forest when Petalfur told her to stay.

"We have to make sure everyone knows what's going on," the deputy told her. "We have to keep them all posted when they come back with news."

Lightberry wanted to protest. She felt she had to be out there looking. It felt as if she didn't, their injuries would be all her fault. She knew now how lucky she'd been as a kit not to meet anything dangerous. She wished these kits wouldn't either. She wanted them to return safely.

She and Petalfur sat in the clearing, waiting as everyone left them. They watched movements in the trees waiting for a cat to return. Lightberry could hear their calls in the forest. Far and near, searching and sniffing. She was tense, waiting for the joyous calls that the kits had been found. Then one cat came back.

The ginger tom walked as if there wasn't anything wrong. His step was slow as if finished with a patrol and tired of all the walking. His body was muddy and when Lightberry saw him, she felt dread. He shoved his way through the undergrowth to enter the clearing, not caring when the thorns cut into him. His eyes weren't focused.

"Crookedclaw," Petalfur meowed, standing up. "Where have you been?"

Lightberry's brother stared at Petalfur for a while as if trying to decide where she'd come from, not really surprised at her being there, but wondering when she'd shown up. Then he blinked.

"The bog," he answered. He walked as if to continue to the warrior's den.

Petalfur got into his way.

"Did you see two kits while you were gone?" she asked him. "Stripe and Flower are missing."

Crookedclaw looked thoughtful. His head tilted up as his eyes locked onto a tree branch where two squirrels played tag. For a while Lightberry thought he'd forgotten the question. She watched the squirrels with him. It was hard not to.

"No," he meowed with a shrug and walked away.

Petalfur stared after him. Then she turned back to Lightberry.

"He probably didn't," Lightberry meowed, "and if he did, he probably didn't notice."

Petalfur sighed and glanced at Crookedclaw where he disappeared into the warriors den. The nursery bush rustled as white Clearecho stuck her head out.

"Is there news?" she anxiously asked.

Lightberry knew she probably wanted to be out looking too, but she had to stay behind to watch over Clover, her last dappled she-kit. The kit now poked its head from the den.

"Are they back yet?" Clover asked. She seemed annoyed. "When they are, tell Flower I'm not speaking to her again!"

She darted back inside. Clearecho looked sad. Petalfur shared the look. Clover didn't realize her siblings might not come back. She might never speak to Flower again. Lightberry wanted to cry. Clearecho went back into the nursery.

Night came and finally so did the warriors. They looked tired and there were no kits with them. Drooping tails and anxious eyes greeted Lightberry as they came back. They grouped up together in the middle of the clearing. No one seemed like they wanted to talk. They just huddled together, sad and disheartened by the unlucky day. Eventually Desertfur came back to camp. Glide trailed behind, exhausted. He breathed heavily.

Clearecho rushed to her mate and buried her head into Desertfur's chest. She knew he hadn't heard a thing.

"I'm sorry," Desertfur sighed.

Glide came forward and, too tired to leap up on the Low Branch, stood under it. Everyone turned to him. There was no one left searching.

"Our search was unsuccessful," the leader reported. "Only a few scent trails were found, but not the kits. That could be a good thing," he tried to reassure them.

"That means they might be still alive because we did not find any blood. We will look again tomorrow."

"Why should we?" one cat called.

The rest gasped and looked stunned at Eaglewing. The dusky gray cat with black points stood up and moved next to Glide. He'd become a warrior only a few days after Lightberry. He and his siblings were a moon or two younger than she was but they'd proved to be good apprentices, getting their ceremonies early.

"I think we all know what happened," the cat growled, glancing around. "Those cats left the nursery but they met some cat that killed them!"

Now the Clan was even more stunned. What was Eaglewing talking about? What did he know?

"Eaglewing, explain," Glide demanded, voice hard.

Lightberry hoped he would say it was a rogue. They were getting nastier lately and who knew what they'd did with Clan kits.

Eaglewing's eyes narrowed. "Every day I see Crookedclaw by that nursery. This morning I didn't. This morning the kits disappeared. Where is Crookedclaw now, I ask?"

The Clan started chattering. Where was the ginger tom? Was Eaglewing right?

"No," Lightberry protested, standing up. "You can't say that! Crookedclaw has nothing to do with this! He would not murder kits!"

Eaglewing looked at her, eyes sympathetic. "He's not right in the head, Lightberry. How can you say what he would or wouldn't do? And everything points to it. Where was your brother this morning?"

"He said the bog," Lightberry muttered looking away. She didn't want to believe Eaglewing but it almost seemed logical. The rest of the Clan seemed to believe the dusky gray tom. She tensed as they started calling out ideas.

"We should ask him!"

"No, make him leave the Clan!"

"Kill him!"

The words almost became a chant and Lightberry's ears went down. They were talking about her brother! She could hardly believe it. The Clan she grew up with had turned against one of their own and just because he was different! She didn't want this to be happening. She wanted it to be morning again so she could find her brother and stop him.

"Quiet!" Glide yowled as the Clan voices rose higher and higher in their anger.

They slowly settled. Their hard eyes glancing up at their leader.

"We do not know if this happened or not," the white leader meowed, looking at everyone. "We must speak with Crookedclaw and ask him what happened. Lightberry, get your brother."

Lightberry felt as if her legs were frozen. They were so heavy and didn't want to move. For a long time she stared at her leader. He wasn't asking her to betray her brother, was he? Glide stared back at her until she closed her eyes. She wasn't moving. Nothing could make her go get him.

"I'll do it," Petalfur meowed. She left Lightberry's side and went to the warrior's den.

Lightberry kept her eyes firmly shut as the Clan muttered around her. She didn't want to see a thing, didn't want to see the worried, hate filled eyes, all of their pelts pressed together in one body bent on revenge. She didn't want to see her stunned brother as the Clan turned against him. He wouldn't believe it. She couldn't believe it either.

Then the Clan hushed.

Her eyes cracked open. Near the warrior's den, Petalfur led the ginger tom out. He walked, his eyes staring into the distance. He didn't seem to realize that the Clan was staring at him. He didn't seem affected. He'd cleaned the mud off of his body and it looked as if he'd been in the camp all day, neat and waiting to be presented to the Clan leader. Lightberry could almost believe he had stayed in camp. Perhaps she could get away with lying for him. Then she remembered Petalfur. No, she couldn't lie with the deputy having witnessed Crookedclaw's return.

Petalfur led Crookedclaw to the Low Branch. She sat down and slowly Crookedclaw did the same. When he did, his eyes snapped to his accusers. Lightberry saw many flinch away as his yellow eyes bored into their own. It was unnerving. Finally the gaze settled on her. She stared into her brother's eyes. She felt cold inside as she realized she didn't know his motives at all. She hadn't known them for a long time. His eyes were no longer shining and innocent. They were blank and empty. She was scared of him. For a moment she could believe he'd killed the kits.

Crookedclaw looked away first as Glide asked a question.

"Did you see the two kits, Flower and Stripe, today?"

Crookedclaw blinked as if trying to remember. "I saw someone," he shrugged.

The Clan grumbled.

"Who?" Glide asked. Then with narrowed eyes continued. "Small someones?"

Crookedclaw shrugged again.

"Where did you see them?"

"The bog," the black tom shrugged.

Glide grew tense.

Lightberry stared up at them and suddenly saw that the two toms were opposites. White against dark ginger, old against young, clear headed against absentminded. She could also see who the Clan was going for. They'd already made up their minds, agreeing with Eaglewing. Even if Glide believed that her brother was innocent, if her Clan wanted Crookedclaw out, he would have to leave the Clan.

"What happened in the bog?" Glide asked calmly.

Crookedclaw didn't seem to realize the Clan was listening to every word. He just sat there, tail swishing side to side on the ground. He watched it as it stirred twigs and leaves. Lightberry hoped he wouldn't answer. She hoped he kept his silence.

"I was hunting," the ginger tom meowed.

"Where's the prey?" Eaglewing challenged.

Lightberry glared at the tom. He wasn't much older than she and her brother but he tried to act like a senior warrior and order everyone around. Lightberry wasn't very fond of him. This meeting proved how much she really disliked him. When this was over with . . .

"There wasn't much," Crookedclaw meowed.

"In greenleaf?" Eaglewing growled.

"Hush," Glide snapped. He turned his green eyes back on Crookedclaw.

"I got bored and came home," Crookedclaw meowed. It looked like he was finished. Then he spoke again. "It got dark," he whispered. "I heard voices calling. I fell. I hit my head."

Lightberry's fur rose. It sounded like he was reliving his accident. She could replay the scene in her mind. She felt her blood pump as her heart raced. Then he went on.

"There were two of them. Small. Left them," Crookedclaw meowed.

"How did they get there?" Eaglewing asked. "Did you take them?"

"Took them," Crookedclaw meowed. He was staring into the distance again.

Lightberry was sure he didn't know what he was saying, just repeating what he'd last heard, but the Clan thought he'd just admitted what he'd did. They now believed Crookedclaw had confessed to taking the kits to the bog.

"You see!" Eaglewing meowed, whipping to face the Clan. "He killed those two kits!"

They roared in anger. Crookedclaw blinked and shook his head. Suddenly her brother was back. Confusion in his eyes as he stared at the Clan. They growled at him. He didn't seem to remember what he said to get them angry. Or even how he got there. He looked around and then up at the dark sky. Only the small stars shown down at him. He shook his head again and stared at his Clan.

Lightberry wanted to run to him, but she was in the back of the crowd. She'd never get through them all. Then Glide began to speak.

"Crookedclaw," the leader sighed. "You have just admitted you endangered two of our kits. Whether you actually left them there or killed them there, I don't know, but you have killed them none-the-less. For this, you are banished from this Clan. No longer are you a member of Summerheat. If any Clanmember sees you with a kit, they have my permission to kill you to defend the kit. Now leave."

Crookedclaw tilted his head as he started at Glide. Lightberry wasn't sure he understood what had just happened. He would have stayed sitting and staring if Eaglewing hadn't nipped at him. Crookedclaw got up in surprise and, like a wave, the whole Clan rushed forward. The ginger tom raced from the camp. Lightberry watched her brother go, sad, but unable to do a thing. She was still behind the rest.

When the Clan calmed down again, no one chasing Crookedclaw farther than where the clearing ended, Glide stood up. The full moon lit up his white fur making him seem suddenly like a star come down to them. The Clan's attention was brought back to their leader.

"We must remember that no kit is allowed into the bog," Glide meowed.

Lightberry could recall that it was a rule, but by the way Glide spoke it was as if it were part of the code. She had a feeling it would be.

"We will look right now for the kits if they are still alive," Glide continued.

He said cat names and they started out as a group. Everyone else was ordered to sleep. Lightberry was one of those. She didn't feel like going to be with her Clan members not after what they'd done to her brother. Instead, she stayed in the clearing as her Clan trailed away from her. She watched their faces become relieved as they thought they knew what had happened. They didn't think anything of the incident after that. Their criminal, kit-killer was gone. That was all they needed to know until the next crisis. Only StarClan would ever know the truth.

Then Lightberry saw Eaglewing's face. He looked triumphant. Lightberry watched him gaze in the place her brother had disappeared. She felt her face go hard. He'd planned it. Planned it all but there was nothing she could do with this sudden knowledge. No one would believe her. She had no proof, not like Eaglewing had against her brother. Whatever Eaglewing's reason had been to do this, she knew she could never trust the younger warrior. She snarled and stalked away. She would see for herself. Find some proof of Eaglewing's lie. If she could, she'd punish Eaglewing for making her brother leave the Clan.

_She never had to. Only a few moons later Eaglewing was found dead. Crookedclaw had gotten to him first. Lightberry could smell her brother on the dusky gray's body. She told no one, just left him at the territory's edge and went on with life, not even seeing the eyes that stared out at her from the bushes who witnessed her satisfaction at his death._

**_-Line-_**

"I went into the bog looking for some evidence of those kits," Lightberry meowed. "Anything at all. You see, I didn't believe he'd killed them at all. I think they just followed him and he saw them on his return and being absentminded, didn't realize he should take them back."

Lightberry stared at her companions. Their eyes were filled with shock, pain, and anger. Especially Cloverleaf. The she-cat didn't seem to know what to think. She stared at Lightberry.

"No one ever told me you were his sister," the dappled she-cat got out.

"No one wanted to be reminded of that," Lightberry meowed sadly. "They didn't want to bring him up to me."

"But did he kill them?" Frog asked, tilting his kit head. He didn't see this anything other than a story, and missed the anger Cloverleaf had for Lightberry.

Lightberry looked away. "I can never be sure, but I hope to StarClan he didn't. If you think about it though, if he hadn't been injured, the kits probably would have been saved or at least my brother not blamed. I'm sorry Cloverleaf."

Cloverleaf still didn't now what to say. She turned away and curled up, her back to them all.

"That will be enough for tonight," Petal meowed, looking between the she-cats. "Enough."

Duststripe felt in pain. The story made him feel for Lightberry and made him question everything he knew about Crookedclaw. His own mother used to threaten that Crookedclaw would hurt him if he didn't behave. Now Duststripe wondered if Crookedclaw had killed those kits or not. What also scared Duststripe was just the mention of the bog. He could only imagine the way the kits had died. That was something he didn't like doing and he thrust the bog from his mind. He curled up around his son, grateful that Frog was not in any danger like that and got some unrestful sleep.

Above, the thunder rumbled and the clouds covered the stars. The temperature dropped in a sudden wind. The storm had come.

* * *

**Hey if you want to know the allegiances of the old Clan (during Lightberry's warrior story) look down:**

**Leader** Glide- long-furred white tom with green eyes  
**Deputy** Petalfur- red-brown she-cat with light gray spots  
**Leafcats** Waterdrop- silver gray tom with blue eyes  
Dancingeyes- brown, long-furred she-cat with fiery amber eyes

**Warriors **

Desertfur- large brown tom with large tufted ears and dark marks around eyes  
Mistypool-gray she-cat  
Redfoot- ginger tom with white tail tip  
_apprentice: Mud  
_Dawneyes- gray tabby she-cat with golden eyes  
Foreststep- white tom with silver legs and green eyes  
_apprentice: Mouse_  
Whitetoes- dusty gray tabby tom with white toes and blaze over face  
Streaminglight- white she-cat with green eyes  
Bluelightning- swift silver-blue tom  
_apprentice: Elm  
_Lightberry- brown she-cat with black spots  
Crookedclaw- dusky, dark ginger tom  
Snowfeather- dark white she-cat with gray paws with green eyes  
_apprentice: Lily  
_Eaglewing- dusky gray tom with black points

**Apprentices**  
Mud-brown tabby  
Elm- black tom with faint spotting  
Mouse- gray tabby she-cat with light brown legs  
Lily- tortoiseshell she-cat with white stripe along back

**Queens**  
Clearecho- white she-cat with blue eyes and brown chin, mother of Desertfur's three kits: Clover (tortoiseshell she-cat with a black spot resembling clover), Flower (light brown she-cat with white spotting), and Stripe (gray tom with thick, dark stripes).

**Elders **

Whiteleaf- white she-cat with two brown spots  
Brownfur- dark tabby tom  
Tawnyear- dappled-tom with white ear  
Voletail- brown tom with missing tail  
Fallingtree- ginger tom with striped legs and green eyes


	10. Chapter 9: Waterdrop's Story

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to my reviewers:_ Anidori-Isilee, Chat et Chocolat, Darkness of the Eclipse, GinnyStar, _and_ xXThunderspiritXx

_Sorry to those who thought this got boring again. Wait until Cloverleaf's story, next week. She has a fun chapter._

_Any of you ever want to be a cat? Ever want to join a Clan? Why not roleplay? Go to Candara__**dot**__webs__**dot**__com to be my Clanmate! The site will be lots of fun once we get more people. (PS I'm Lightberry in AirClan. 7/16/2010 edit: I killed my cat character, so I'm not a Clan member any longer there. But you should still check it out!)_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The rain fell in large drops. It fell quick and cold, making everything gray and hard to see beyond. It became a thick mist coating the countryside. The six cats weren't going anywhere that day. Petal highly doubted their pursuers would either. So they stayed in the bush, not even going out to hunt. Duststripe could hear their bellies rumble for food.

Under the bush, tensions were high. Cloverleaf wasn't speaking to Lightberry and the light brown she-cat was crushed. Duststripe couldn't explain it. He loved both of them and wanted them to get along, but Cloverleaf had to remember a terrible time in her past when her siblings died. Now she knew one of her friends was related to the supposed killer. Lightberry wanted to speak with Cloverleaf, but the dappled she-cat wouldn't listen. Duststripe felt that something had to break the tension because it was becoming too much. Even Frog was staying low because he could feel how dangerous it was getting. Duststripe could almost feel the lines being drawn. Petal was trying to comfort Cloverleaf and he stayed by Lightberry's side. Only Waterdrop didn't seem to care and Frog was torn. The kit liked both she-cats and looked up to them.

"I'm hungry," the kit finally meowed.

"There isn't anything out there," Lightberry meowed, peering under the bush.

No water reached them and so it was very dry in their shelter but outside it was drenching. All the prey would be hiding in their warm dens. For today, they'd have to go hungry. Duststripe didn't even want to attempt digging any creature out of its den. That would get him muddy and wet. Those weren't good combinations.

"I think we should have another story," Petal meowed.

Everyone looked at her. Duststripe could feel everyone's disbelief. Tell a story now, in this condition? No one was getting along at all. How could they listen to a story? One word someone didn't like and the bush was likely to get bloody. Duststripe had never feared his own group before but he realized at any moment they could become enemies and never see each other again.

"Who would like to go?" the red leader meowed. Her eyes went to Cloverleaf and to Duststripe.

Cloverleaf's face hardened and she turned away. There would be no story from her. Duststripe felt all eyes on him. He gulped. At the moment he couldn't think of any story that would break the tension. It would probably just raise it. He shook his head.

"Then no one's telling a story," Frog whined. One of his paws slapped the ground in frustration. Duststripe almost snapped at his son in annoyance. Frog should learn to be patient.

"I believe you've forgotten mine."

Everyone looked at Waterdrop. The silver tom had stopped looking out onto the gray plain and was facing inward. Everyone blinked at him surprised that he was willing to talk at all. He didn't give off friendly waves and no one voluntarily went to him unless they had a herb question or were in pain. Now he was actually willing to say something.

"Go on," Petal meowed. Duststripe could suddenly see a small pleased smile on her face. He wondered why she was so happy Waterdrop would share his story.

"I will start with when I joined the Clan," the leafcat meowed.

Frog's attention was caught. He obviously hadn't realized not everyone in the Clan was born to it.

**_-Line-_**

_"Do you think he remembers?" the she-cat whispered anxiously._

The silver kit pressed against the warm side, not wanting it to leave. The fur shifted, uncomfortable. He squeaked in protest and the queen settled down. The kit didn't move again, just letting himself drift.

After a time, the warriors started talking again.

"I don't see why not," the tom replied.

"But he was unconscious when you found him," the queen answered.

"Look at him, Creamfur," the tom meowed. "He's four moons old! Of course he'll remember."

"Then do we ask him?"

"You, a leafcat, asking me this?" the tom meowed in disbelief. "You shouldn't torture him with the memory."

"But Tawnyear, we have to know. You don't really think he won't realize I'm not his mother?" She snorted her scorn.

"Of course I don't think that," Tawnyear meowed, "but you should let him bring it up."

"I will," Creamfur sighed.

"Dawningsun will be back with Clear later," Tawnyear meowed, reminding Creamfur of the other queen, "You can get the kit settled in."

With that, the sound of pawsteps was Tawnyear leaving. The silver kit was now with Creamfur. He thought he was alone so he hesitantly opened his eyes. Above him, vines curled in a protective dome, covered in moss, locking in the warmth. He knew it was cold outside. He'd been in it not too long ago. He wouldn't let anything take him from this queen's warm belly. His claws came out.

"Ouch," The queen was startled.

She looked down and saw the blue eyes staring fiercely back at her. For a while the two stared at each other, then Creamfur spoke.

"What is your name?" she asked the kit.

The kit stared at her for a longer time. Why did she have to know his name? What if he didn't want to tell her?

"I can't just say 'the kit' all the time," she told him, her face twisted in amusement.

"Water," he finally mewed. His heart pained him as he remembered his mother calling his name. She had such a sweet voice. He buried his head back into the creamy she-cat's belly fur, hiding from the world.

"Water," Creamfur tried out. "I think it's a lovely name. I'd like you to meet my other kits."

Water's head rose and he stared at her in shock. Others?

Creamfur stood and Water froze as the absence of her reminded him of a cold body. He raced after the queen as she headed farther back into the rosebush den. She laid down beside two reddish kits. Water dove between them, longing to get warm again. The kits squeaked in protest at the rough movement.

"Careful," Creamfur chided. "They aren't as big as you. They're only two moons old. Their eyes are just starting to open."

Water carefully pushed them aside to get closer to Creamfur. The queen let him and then pushed her kits around him with one of her paws. She seemed to understand that he wasn't purposefully being cruel and unthoughtful. When they were settled, Creamfur introduced Water to her kits.

"This is Petal," Creamfur meowed, her tail brushing the she-kit as Petal nuzzled to get milk. "This is Red."

Red was the ginger tom with a white tail tip. Petal was a red-brown color with gray spots. Water looked at them, seeing how they didn't even match his own pelt. He stood out among these cats. His silver pelt was strange. He looked down, feeling unwanted.

"I'll love you the same as them," Creamfur purred. "I promise. You were brought to this Clan alone, but you won't be forever."

Water didn't look at the queen. He wasn't sure if he could believe her. First his own brother had been taken from him when he was too young to even remember and now his mother was gone. Life was just cruel. What made him think Creamfur would be with him always? What about her kits? What if they died of sickness?

"Could you tell me your mother's name?" Creamfur meowed quietly after a while.

Water found it hard to even speak. His mind remembered his mother's gray tabby pelt and white face, her brown tail. For a long time he hadn't realized she had a name. She was just Mother. Now he had to bring it up. The name he could remember other cats calling her.

"Flynn," he choked. His heart pounded and his eyes widened as he stared into the den.

Creamfur could feel his tense body and leaned down to lick his head.

"Her name was Flynn?" she asked.

He nodded his small head as his face twitched in horror.

"She wasn't mean to you, was she?"

"No!" Water protested, meeting her eyes. "She was nice! But . . . she's gone."

"She's dead," Creamfur agreed, swallowing. "Do you know what from?"

Water suddenly wasn't in the den anymore. He was back by Flynn's side, the air cold around them, frost on the ground. They were making their way through the forest, crouching in the dark, waiting for safety. Flynn had seen a family of foxes just that evening. Now that it was night, she feared they were out hunting. She wanted to keep her kit safe. They'd just entered a new forest and Flynn wanted to find the local cats to ask them about the area. So far they hadn't seen anyone and she was worried. Perhaps they'd all been killed by the foxes.

Then suddenly as Flynn led the way out of the bush, a dark shadow covered the sky. Water didn't hear a thing as the shadow descended. He wasn't aware of the danger until Flynn jumped over him, flattening him to the ground. A bird shrieked above him and he heard a tearing sound. Water's mother cried out in pain. The loud flapping sound was the only evidence of the bird leaving. Water shoved his mother off of him and leaned over her. She was breathing hard, her eyes wide. Water could hear her gulping and he could smell the blood.

"Mother?" he mewed.

"Stay with me," she got out.

"Why would I leave?" he asked, confused.

"Just stay," she coughed. "I only have to say . . . I love you, Water."

He could suddenly feel the warmth leaving her. He huddled by her side, stunned when she got tense and didn't speak again. It didn't take him long to realize she was dead. He was alone. Just like when his brother stopped moving and Flynn had to leave him behind. Water closed his eyes and wasn't aware of anything else for a long time.

"Water?"

The silver tom shivered, trying to forget the memory. He looked at Creamfur.

"What killed her?" the queen asked.

"A dark shadow in the sky," he whispered. "A sharp claw."

He didn't know what it was, he hadn't seen, but he knew she'd tried to save his life. The shadow had been going for him, the small kit.

Creamfur looked down, thinking. "An owl," she finally mewed.

Water stared at her. What was an owl?

Creamfur looked at Water in sympathy. "I will be here for you, always. No wild animal will hurt me or your new siblings. You will be a part of Summerheat Camp forever."

_Water could only hope she was telling the truth. He didn't want her to die. Not have her body go cold beside him and let in the leaf-fall air to cover his own body. He was sure the frost had been covering him by the time Tawnyear found him. He would have died alone. He didn't want that to happen again. He snuggled down among his two new siblings and tried to get some sleep. The shadow of the owl stayed in his dreams for a long time._

_****__-Line-_

Duststripe watched Waterdrop's eyes widen as he talked about the owl killing his mother. Duststripe could now realize why Waterdrop had been scared of that owl attacking them that one night as they looked for Frog's catmint. Waterdrop couldn't escape the fear he had of that first night. Duststripe felt sympathy for the leafcat.

The brown tabby tom looked around and saw that everyone else was captivated in the story. For once Cloverleaf wasn't glaring at Lightberry. They were watching Waterdrop, living his story. Duststripe turned back to paying attention. He felt Frog move at his side and quickly licked his son's head.

**_-Line-_**

_When Petal and Red finally opened their eyes and started walking, Water was wandering around the camp, looking at the Clan cats and wondering how they actually could live together for so long. Fog kept moving, getting tired of staying in the same area all the time. Water had no reason to believe other cats weren't the same, but for some reason the Clan always stayed together in the same area.  
_  
When Water's foster siblings finally got up, he found that it was fun to play with them. They both looked up to him as the oldest. They let him lead them around, showing them the sights. They were sad when he finally became six moons and had to join the apprentices. Water had a warrior mentor but they didn't get along. Voletail, a brown tom missing his tail, loved to hunt at night, but Water had never been able to go out of the camp at night since his mother died. Voletail was determined that Water would overcome his fear and tried to force him to hunt and stay out in the dark.

By the time Petal and Red joined Water in the apprentice den, in newleaf, Voletail and Water had gotten into a few fights. Creamfur, unable to help while in the nursery finally, took action when she returned to her leafcat duties.

"Stop this, Voletail," the creamy brown she-cat snarled one night.

Voletail had just dragged Water from the apprentice den, the other apprentices unable to help, not wanting to fight against a warrior. Not even Petal or Red knew what to do. They were too young to face a warrior and could only watch, confusion on their faces as Water was pulled away.

Voletail was about to take Water to the field to teach him night fishing. Water constantly tried to pull away from his mentor, running back to the den. He feared going into the forest in the night, scared an owl would come to get him again. Voletail, growled at him through his hold on the apprentice's scruff to stop struggling and stop acting like a kit. That was when Creamfur came from the leafcat den, hurrying over to the struggling cats.

"He's my apprentice," Voletail protested, placing Water back down, and pushing him down with a large paw. "He has to learn warriors don't fear."

Creamfur's eyes narrowed. "Of course they fear," she hissed. "What do you think gives them the courage to fight on? To protect their Clan? Mark my words, Voletail, if you continue to think this way, your own kits will poison our Clan."

Voletail hissed at her and started to take Water again. The silver tom, tired of being dragged around, clawed his mentor's face and ran to Creamfur's side.

"Get back here," Voletail growled after wincing in pain. Small beads of blood dripped down his face.

"No," Water meowed, shaking his head as he huddled against his foster mother. "I don't want to be your apprentice anymore. I want to be a leafcat."

Voletail paused and shock filled his eyes as he stared at his former apprentice. Water stared back. He was still new to the Clan and wasn't certain of some procedures but he was sure he had some control over his own life. From what he'd seen of the warriors, he knew he couldn't stand fighting other animals or cats or always hunting for others. Besides, if Voletail was a warrior, Water didn't want to be like him. He wanted to be like Creamfur, the only cat standing up for him and saying the truth, not worried about offending anyone. He wanted to be a leafcat.

"You can't," Voletail snarled, moving forward finally. "You're mine. Glide gave you to me."

"Glide is a new leader," Creamfur reminded Voletail. "He can make mistakes. I believe he made one when he gave my son to you. I will take on Water as my apprentice. I will not ruin him as you would."

With that she turned away and, after slapping Voletail in the face with her tail, led Water to the leafcat den she shared with Slivertips the last apprentice she'd had seasons ago. Water eagerly followed his mother to the den. He followed her to the nest and laid down beside her. These bushes were in full growth and were beside a large boulder. Smells came to him from one side of the den. Those had to be the herbs. No other cat was currently sharing the leafcat den other than Silvertips.

"Thank you," Water told Creamfur when she settled down.

Creamfur smiled at him. "I had to do it," she told him. "I couldn't let him hurt you anymore. Please forgive me for not doing this earlier."

"Of course I will," Water told her. "You saved me now didn't you?"

She licked his head and then laid down. Water felt warm inside, glad that he wouldn't have to live with Voletail again. Of course he wondered what his siblings would do when they discovered Water was learning from their mother. Would they be jealous or excited?

_"In the morning, we'll tell Glide about the change," Creamfur murmured just before she slipped into sleep._

_Water just nodded his head, for once not worried about being in the dark._

_****__-Line-_

"Can mentors be so cruel?" Frog asked, his eyes wide.

Waterdrop nodded. "It happens. Sometimes a leader will have to switch apprentices to accommodate, or else a leader never notices and no one ever says. Such was the case with Crookedclaw I believe."

His blue eyes looked at Lightberry. She nodded her soft brown head in agreement.

Duststripe watched them for a while. Before thinking of more questions.

"I thought that the younger leafcat taught the apprentice," he asked.

"Usually," Waterdrop agreed, his eyes blinking. "However, Silvertips wasn't the teaching kind. He could learn and give orders, but he didn't have time for apprentices. Creamfur got me before she died the next newleaf. I became Waterdrop by her call and Silvertips and I spent a long time together. I learned from him mostly by watching. I helped patch up Petal many times, especially with that badger she faced."

They looked at each other and smiled. Duststripe couldn't help but feel there was something going on between them. Something he'd missed before. He narrowed his eyes and decided to be more vigilant.

"So what happened next?" Frog asked. "Are you going to tell us about patching up cats and their wounds or learning herbs?"

Waterdrop shook his head. "That would bore you. And I guarantee before long, you'll see and hear many warrior wounds. My stories will be nothing. I will tell you about my own apprentice though. A few seasons after Creamfur's death, I got my apprentice called Dance. She was one of Voletail's daughters. His and Windheart's kits were younger than Lightberry by a few moons. Their names were Eagle, Snow, and Dance."

Duststripe watched as understanding dawned on all the other cats faces. Eaglewing had accused Crookedclaw. Voletail had gotten to his son about no fear and being hard hearted.

Duststripe knew Snowfeather. She was a lovely dark white she-cat with a bright personality She was the mother of Gray and Reed and had many different mates. Duststripe wasn't sure if she had fear or not.

The last of the cats, Dancingeyes, Duststripe got along with. He hadn't needed to visit the leafcat's den often but when he did he was glad when he had Dancingeyes and her apprentice Reed and not Waterdrop. She had a nice personality.

"Well, when Dance came to me and asked to be my apprentice," Waterdrop continued, "Voletail was angry. He tried to make Dance change her mind. Luckily she didn't listen to him and I accepted her. Of course she was different from what I was expecting. I'd hoped my apprentice would be just like me. She wasn't. I listened to Creamfur and was a bit nervous, Dance was talkative and not scared at all."

**_-Line-_**

_Waterdrop was trying to show Dance the borage. He explained where to find the plant and how it looked (blue or pink star-shaped flowers with hairy leaves) and what herbs it went with to help reduce fever or induce milk in queens. He was all about memorizing. Dance seemed to think it would all come to her in the moment she desperately needed it. He was staring to regret accepting her as an apprentice. She would have been better as a warrior.  
_  
Then again, he thought, watching her chase a butterfly around the clearing, no warrior would put up with her or her nonsense. Maybe he had to get firmer, make her pay attention. He couldn't actually imagine striking her though. He couldn't imagine forcing her to listen.

Dance pounced after the butterfly and it suddenly switched directions. In the air, Dance flipped around, her back legs swinging out behind her as her belly faced sky. She landed hard on her back. Though winded, the long furred brown she-cat got up and ran after the butterfly which had gotten away. She wasn't paying attention at all to her mentor. She didn't seem to remember he was even there.

Waterdrop watched her for a short while and then decided he could figure out a way to make her realize learning was important. One day when there was a crisis, he'd have her fix it on her own. She would probably panic because she wouldn't know what to do. He'd let her hang for a while until she realized she should have been paying attention to him sooner. That would likely help her pay attention later. Waterdrop nodded, realizing that was exactly what he'd do. Now he just had to wait for a crisis.

The silver tom got back to taking pieces off of the borage. He decided that later that day they'd go to the bog and he'd teach Dance more herbs to find there. While he was pulling off the roots and leaves, he heard a frightened cry.

Waterdrop's head rose and he dropped the herb. He looked around for Dance, but his long-furred apprentice was no where to be seen. She wasn't under any bush, she wasn't hiding behind a tree, and she wasn't behind him. She'd left his side and wandered off after that butterfly. Now she was in danger.

"Dance!" Waterdrop cried, standing up. He ran forward and then stopped. What if he was going the wrong way? He turned around and stared in the other direction. He didn't know where to go!

"Help!" Dance cried again.

Waterdrop's eyes narrowed. That had sounded to his right. He took off, his silver tail bobbing at every lope. How far had Dance gotten? He wished it wasn't far at all. He could still remember the last two disappearances made by young kits. Light and her brother's disappearance when they were kits had ended happier than expected. Dance hadn't even been born then, but she did share apprenticeship with Light and Dusk. Waterdrop sometimes wondered if he could ask her about the two. He Silvertips had tried to treat the ginger tom, but though he'd recovered in body, Waterdrop could tell Dusk was a bit off. Also, Waterdrop had a feeling the apprentice's mentor, Brownfur, wasn't really helping. Though Dusk got along with Brownfur, it was obvious the brown mentor had no sympathy for his apprentice. Waterdrop sometimes wished he could help them.

Another cry brought Waterdrop back to the present. He tripped over a tree root when he realized the cry wasn't in front of him anymore. It had sounded above. Waterdrop got up and, staring into the cloudy sky and tree leaves, thought he saw a shape hanging on a branch. Waterdrop stared in stunned silence for a long time, watching as Dance's short legs hit at the leaves, trying to find a secure hold. Her front claws were starting to slip.

"Waterdrop!" Dance wailed, her voice a thin, scared cry.

That made Waterdrop get into action. He hurried over to the tree and wrapping his legs and claws around it, hurried upward in bounding leaps. He wasn't really used to climbing trees but he managed to make it to the first branch. There he waited and caught his breath but hurried on up, wondering how Dance had gotten so far. He looked up, but couldn't see her through the thick leaves from his position. He wouldn't know if she was still there or not. He couldn't hear her cries for help.

"Dance!" Waterdrop yowled as he went upward again.

"Waterdrop!" she yelled back.

"Hold on!"

A while later, he stopped on another branch, his claws aching. How long could she last? He scanned the branches for her, calling again. Then he saw her. Dance's scared amber eyes, shined at him at the end of a narrow branch in the tall tree. Waterdrop cautiously went out, balancing on his toes. He hurried out to his apprentice and grabbed her by her scruff, pulling her up. Dance eagerly thrust herself froward, causing Waterdrop to lose his own balance. One of his back paws slipped from the branch.

Both of them froze, but when Waterdrop didn't go anywhere, he put his leg back on the branch and pulled Dance with him to the tree trunk. There they recovered.

"Never do this again," Waterdrop told her firmly.

"I won't," she told him. "I just followed the butterfly. I hadn't realized how far I was."

"What would have happened to you if you fell?" Waterdrop growled.

Dance looked down. She couldn't seem to answer.

"What if you were alone?" Waterdrop demanded. "You wouldn't even know how to treat yourself. Your bones would be broken, you'd be in pain."

"You came," Dance said quietly. "I had you."

"You're a leafcat apprentice," Waterdrop sighed. "You're supposed to be able to handle any injury. What would other cats say if you couldn't heal your own?"

_Dance couldn't meet his eyes. Finally Waterdrop relented and helped her out of the tree all the way. He hoped this experience had made her realize she had to be more responsible. Maybe this could help her. He really didn't want to lose his apprentice after all._

_****__-Line-_

"Eventually she became Dancingeyes," Waterdrop meowed to the six cats. "After Silvertips died, many were sad but Dancingeyes could finally say she was ready to become a full leafcat."

"Why did you choose Dancingeyes?" Frog asked.

Waterdrop was silent for a time and only the sound of the gentle rain on the bush leaves could be heard. Duststripe could almost imagine they were letting up. It wasn't light outside having passed sunhigh long ago, but Duststripe hoped the rain stopped. Then he could finally get out and stretch his legs.

"I named her because one night when she was coming back from an assignment, her amber eyes were glowing with the full moon," Waterdrop said. "She was bounding back unafraid and they were like fireflies dancing in the night. So I named her for that."

"I think it's beautiful," Lightberry told him.

The others agreed. As they did, Duststripe noticed the tension had left. Lightberry and Cloverleaf were at least facing the same direction even if they weren't side by side. Waterdrop's story had been detraction enough to help them. Duststripe hoped there weren't any more problems with the she-cats.

Suddenly Petal's head came up. Everyone was instantly alert, looking outside of the leaves and into the plain. They couldn't see anyone else. Had the rogues come?

"The rain stopped," the leader meowed.

Everyone relaxed. They could see that now. The rain had stopped, but there were still clouds. It might be a while before they cleared.

"We should hunt and come back," Petal meowed. "Then if there's time, we can keep walking."

Duststripe got up. Frog bounded outside, scattering raindrops from the leaves and grass blades. Duststripe wondered if the kit thought he could catch anything on his own. He realized he'd have to talk to Petal about the kit's apprenticeship.

* * *

**Now you know why Waterdrop is scared of owls. Any other questions? I'm going to have to look through your reviews again to see what I have yet to answer.**

**Hey if you want to know the allegiances of the old Clan (during Waterdrop's kit story) look down:**

**Leader** Dark- black she-cat with white flecks  
**Deputy** Glidingcloud- young, long-furred tom with green eyes  
**Leafcats** Creamfur- creamy brown she-cat  
Silvertips- black and gray tom with silver paws, ears, and tail

**Warriors**

Flickerbreeze- gray she-cat with white and black spots  
_apprentice: Narrow_  
Swiftclaw- brown and ginger tom  
Whiteleaf- white she-cat with two brown spots  
_apprentice: Mist  
_Stormshadow- dark gray she-cat with silver chest and creamy paw  
Goldengrove- golden tabby she-cat with dark black ears  
Windheart- silver she-cat with tortoiseshell back  
Brownfur- dark tabby tom  
_apprentice: Feather  
_Cherrynose- light brown she-cat with blue eyes  
_apprentice: Fall_  
Tawnyear- dappled tom with white ear  
Voletail- brown tom with missing tail  
Tigerlily- dark brown tabby she-cat

**Apprentices  
**Narrow- black she-cat with small tail  
Fall- ginger tom with striped legs and green eyes  
Feather- light gray she-cat with creamy underbelly  
Mist-gray she-cat

**Queens**  
Dawningsun- silvery-white she-cat with ginger belly, mother of one kit: Clear (white she-cat with brown chin)  
Creamfur, mother of Tawnyear's two kits: Red (ginger tom with white tail tip) and Petal (red-brown she-cat with light gray spots). One adopted kit: Water (silver gray tom with blue eyes)

**Elders  
**Deepscar- tortoiseshell almost bald she-cat with many scars  
Gingerflame- large ginger tom with one white paw


	11. Chapter 10: Cloverleaf's Story

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to Reviewers: _Anidori-Isilee, xXThunderspiritXx, Darkness of the Eclipse_, and _Chat et Chocolat

_Summery: Six cats escape from Summerheat Camp and the rogues. They journey across a wide plain and on the way each tell stories from their past. Now their journey winds to its end and they decide to make a stand. The stories told: Petal, Lightberry, Waterdrop.__

* * *

_

**Chapter 10**

The next day, the blue sky clear and bright without a cloud, the six cats started out again. They quickly left their large bush and started walking, the sun at their backs. Then Petal suddenly changed direction.

"What are you doing?" Waterdrop asked, suddenly realizing no one was following him anymore. He turned around and bounded back to the group.

Duststripe shrugged his shoulders and kept following Petal. She was now walking with the sun on her right, toward a large dark spot on the horizon.

"The rogues know the direction we're traveling," Petal explained when Cloverleaf caught up from where she'd been scouting from the back. They all sat together now, bunched close as a cold wind blew at them.

"I decided we needed to go somewhere else," the leader continued. "Leafbare will come soon and we need a place to stay. We can't walk through all the snow. We need a temporary camp."

"Leafbare is far away," Lightberry meowed. "Leaf-fall only just started."

"Leafbare will come sooner than we think," Petal meowed, her golden eyes looking at the group. "We need to be settled before then. We should make a stand at least."

"I agree," Cloverleaf meowed, getting everyone's attention. When she had everyone looking at her, she continued. "We don't know if the five are still after us, and if they aren't, why do we keep running? I say we shouldn't go too far from Tanglewood. There is the chance we can go back. I think we should find somewhere to last the leafbare and return in newleaf."

"My thoughts exactly, Cloverleaf," Petal nodded to the tortoiseshell she-cat. "Thank you."

Cloverleaf smiled with the praise.

"Now, we're going this direction to confuse the rogues and also because I think that might be a forest," Petal explained, her tail flicking toward the dark spot. "We can sleep there and find ourselves a camp."

"It looks so far away," Frog moaned, standing up on his back legs to look over Lightberry. The brown she-cat moved aside so the young tom could see better.

"It might be," Petal agreed. "Which is why we should start now. I don't see any forest in the direction of the setting sun."

Waterdrop murmured an agreement and the six of them started walking again.

By sunhigh they got to a very strange line in their way. The hills had suddenly flatted out and behind some wooden posts with shining vines strung between them, long, tall stalks of plants stood in rows. A loud droning roared in the distance. This was no forest of trees.

"What do we do now?" Lightberry asked, staring at it. "We can't live here."

"We go through," Petal meowed. "But first we hunt and rest."

The group faded off, some going on their own, others in groups. Frog padded beside Duststripe and Lightberry as they followed the odd line holding in the towering plants.

"I don't like the look of that," Duststripe meowed, staring into the dark roots of the plants. "Anything could be hiding in it."

He glanced at his son, but Frog wasn't paying attention. He was concentrating on some horsetail which bobbed in the air in front of him. The kit's dark eyes followed the sharp movement, his tail mirroring the plant. Duststripe watched his son's leg muscles tense just before the pounce.

"He'll make a good hunter," Lightberry meowed, having watched as well.

Duststripe nodded.

"Good job!" he praised his son when Frog stood up.

The kit purred with delight and started jumping on the horsetail some more. Duststripe and Lightberry turned away.

"I don't think it's that bad," Lightberry told him. "Look."

She quickly slipped under the shining vines that were held up by the wooden posts. On the other side it was a quick trot into the field of tall plants.

"Wait," Duststripe called, but Lightberry pushed her way through the stalks with a rustling sound and was lost in the dark shadows. Duststripe couldn't see her any longer. There were too many stalks in the way.

Rushing to the wooden post, he stood just outside the field. His eyes scanned for his Clannmate but he couldn't see her. Frog bounded over to his father's side and was about to slip under the wire when Duststripe put a paw in front of him.

"I don't want to lose you in that too," Duststripe told him. "Wait for Lightberry to get back."

Frog sighed and sat down, head tilted over with annoyance. Duststripe sat down as well and ignored his son's behavior. Some time later Lightberry came back, two mice in her jaws.

"It's good hunting in there," she told him, placing the mice down. "I saw some black birds and a mole. They're eating some fallen seeds."

Duststripe frowned at her but accepted the mice. Lightberry went under the wire and they walked back into the hills. Duststripe caught them a rabbit and the three hurried back to where they'd left their companions.

Petal was waiting, a bird between her paws. When she saw them, she smiled and motioned for Frog to come near. The kit eagerly did.

"I say this time you can pick who tells the story," Petal told him. Frog nodded his head and accepted a mouse from Lightberry. Duststripe laid down and started on his rabbit. He had a feeling his son might choose him. He tried to think of a story to tell.

Waterdrop came back a short time later without anything. His face was dusty and Duststripe had a feeling he'd hit dirt going after some prey. He offered some rabbit to the leafcat. The old tom nodded and joined him.

Cloverleaf was the last to come back with two birds. She placed one in the center of the group and kept the last. For a time everyone was silent, just eating. The sound of bird calls and the roaring in the field were the only things to be heard.

"Cloverleaf," Frog suddenly meowed.

The dappled she-cat looked up in surprise.

"You tell the story," the kit ordered.

Cloverleaf's eyes darted to Petal whom Frog was nearby. The red leader nodded her head. Cloverleaf quickly cleaned off her face and stood up.

"I'm not really sure how to start my story," Cloverleaf meowed. "But I'd like to tell about an experience as an apprentice. My first official fight."

Frog's ears perked up and Duststripe was sure his son would love this story.

**_-Line-_**

_Clover had some battle training. Whitetoes tried to keep his apprentice fit and on top of things. She hadn't been an apprentice for long, just a few moons, but Whitetoes told her she had potential to be one of the best warriors Summerheat _had ever known. Clover had taken that to heart and she was determined to succeed in everything. Whitetoes told her to take her time, but Clover didn't want to wait to learn the harder things when he said her body would be more fit and have more stamina. She wanted to learn now.

"Go hunting," Whitetoes told her. "I won't teach you more. You aren't flexible yet."

"Please," Clover meowed seriously.

Everyone told her that her green eyes were too serious for her age. She just ignored them. It wasn't like she had anyone to play with anyway. Her siblings had died as kits and there was no one her age other than Lily, but the other tortoiseshell apprentice, who was somewhat older than Clover, didn't want anything to do with the younger she-cat. She stayed with the older warriors, showing off. The Clan was strangely out of apprentices this season and the next group was moons younger than she. Clover felt a warrior already. Why should she have to be told no?

"Go hunt," her mentor told her firmly. "The Clan needs the food. Being a warrior isn't all about fighting. I know a few warriors make it seem that way, but it isn't. We need someone to support us. Apprentices usually have that duty and it is an honorable one. Who else would take care of the elders? They don't want to see warriors, something they want to be again. They want apprentices and kits, the future of our Clan. Now go find some prey and you can take it to Voletail."

Clover sighed. She didn't like Voletail. The brown tom was grouchy and ill tempered. She wanted to take it to her mother, Clearecho, but the she-cat wasn't just yet ready to be an elder. She was still hanging on with her mate Desertfur. They insisted they could help because along with low apprentice levels, the warrior count was low as well. This was the worst Summerheat had ever been. Something had to help them boost their numbers or soon there wouldn't be a Clan at all.

"Hunt," Whitetoes meowed, pushing her away with his white nose.

Clover grumbled and turned away from the stream side. This was the training ground, a sandy patch of dirt near the shallow stream in the middle of Tanglewood Forest along one of the Clan's border. Clover wished her siblings were there with her, but some cruel warrior had killed them. Some warrior that was now a rogue. Clover's claws twitched. If she ever caught that tom, he would die!

Clover went hunting as ordered. She took a long time and managed to get one nice catch back to camp before Whitetoes sent her out again. Voletail wasn't happy as Clover expected when she visited him with a large squirrel. He sent her out when she wanted to clean the bedding.

"You can do that later," Whitetoes told Clover. "Go hunting again. I'm sure the queens would appreciate it."

Clover glanced at the rosebush and saw five kits playing with a moss ball. One was a brown tom with large stripes, the other a golden tabby she-cat. Clover knew those two kits were Whitetoes's own. She knew he doted on them when he could. The other three were some other toms'. Clover didn't keep track as she wasn't interested in kits or mates usually. The first was a white tom with a read face and tail, the second a short-haired she-cat, and the last a light gray tabby she-cat. The five of them tussled with the moss ball until the golden she-cat found a mouse pelt and ran off with it, the others chasing her.

Clover turned away from them and left the camp for her second hunt. She hoped Voletail would let her clean the elder's den later. He tended to be possessive of the den and it scared her on occasion. Especially when he told her _not_ to be scared. She just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

On the way out of camp, Clover glanced at the Low Branch. Petal usually made her decisions from that branch. Cloverleaf hoped soon Petal would call her as a warrior. She really wanted to be more than the hunter. Lately the rogues were attacking. They seemed to know that the Clan was weak. They took the opportunity to steal prey from lone hunters or just attacking to quickly leave after a few scratches. Clover wanted to be a warrior because then she could lead a patrol to fight them. Instead she was stuck hunting. With a sigh, the dappled she-cat went on.

By early evening, she'd caught a bit more prey. When returning to the cache she'd made, a black bird in her jaws, she thought she saw something under the willow tree. She thought she could see a brown cat moving. Thinking it was Desertfur, she picked up her pace, tail waving. Wouldn't he be impressed with her catch! But as Clover ducked under the long, drooping vine of small leaves, Clover could see it wasn't Desertfur. This tom was too small and had the wrong smell. He was stealing her prey!

Clover dropped the black bird and rushed to the tom. She suppressed a battle cry and, instead, knocked him down. She pulled him away from the mouse he'd been devouring and started pummeling him with her back legs. He was about as big as her, which gave her confidence she could beat him. He was only apprentice age! He probably didn't have as much training as her either.

She bit him hard and he shrieked. He twisted in her grasp, startling her. Her claws gave and he ran. She jumped up to her feet in time to see him taking a vole and another mouse.

She snarled, racing after him as he left the willow's cover. He couldn't go very fast and Clover felt the blood rush through her. Her legs went faster with excitement and she was sure she had a grin on her face. She loved this. It was even better than battle training with Whitetoes. Now she was actually fighting, claw, tooth, and all!

She narrowed her eyes and targeted the fleeing tom. His fur was fluffed with terror, but though he was scared he wasn't being foolish. He seemed to know exactly where he was going. He had to be one of the local rogues.

Clover spotted a large boulder with a split through the middle coming up. It looked like the tom was headed for this boulder. She smirked and veered course. She was going to ambush him. She pushed herself, jumping onto the boulder and pulled herself up the cracks with her claws. Below her the tom pushed through the rift. He shot out before Clover topped the boulder.

Clover crouched on top of the boulder, watching him get away, his feet sending leaves scattering behind him. She tensed and then leapt for the tom. She landed on his back, forcing a kit-like squeak from him. The prey flew from him and he landed in a heap, Clover on top of him, tangled. She pulled a paw free and placed it on his back, claws digging him.

"I'll show you what it means to steal from the Clan," she hissed, leaning down harder.

He winced and tried to squirm free. Clover growled at him and started to nip his ears.

Clover heard a crackle of twigs and looked up in time to see another cat barreling for her. She could only tense as a wall of yellow fur knocked into her. She felt herself tumble over the ground, her body sliding through the fallen leaves and making dust rise. She kept her eyes close until she came to a stop. She quickly jumped up and lowered herself.

The attacking yellow tom was lowered like her, glaring, his lips drawn up. She gulped as she realized he was much bigger than she was. The brown tabby tom hid on his other side, peering over the large shoulders at her. He winked at her when he saw her notice him.

Clover spat at the brown tom and turned her attention back to the yellow tom. He was the real threat. She could already recognize him. No one had the same yellow pelt as Sullen. Clover was never sure if that was his real name, but many of the warriors spoke about him and so she assumed that's what it was. But who named their kit 'Sullen'? Because she recognized Sullen, she realized the cat he was protecting had to be Bark. The two always seemed to be together. Though Clover had never come face to face with either of them, she knew enough about them from the Clan.

Clover twitched an ear as the glaring went on. She knew she couldn't just back away. She would never give up. Bark had been stealing from her and the Clan. She couldn't let him get away with it. Too many warriors already had, but Petal told them not to start a fight with the rogues. It wasn't as if Summerheat had too little prey. Tanglewood was abundant with many different kinds of prey and her Clan knew how to hunt all of them.

Clover decided she had to make sure these two cats stopped bothering her Clan. Of course she had to give them fair warning. Petal would have her ears if she didn't.

"You will pay for taking the Clan's prey," she hissed at them.

Sullen blinked at her, his brown eyes unimpressed.

"You have enough prey," he growled at her. "Your Clan is well fed without these."

His tail flicked to the pieces of prey Bark had taken from her cache.

"Catch your own prey," she snarled at him. "I worked hard for those."

Sullen's nose flared. "We catch what we can, Clan cat. There are too many cats in this forest to support us all. You just need to learn how to share."

"Share?" she snapped. "Stealing is different than sharing!"

She lunged for him, claws outstretched and teeth bared. As she went, she let out a loud yowl. Bark's eyes widened and he darted away as Sullen backed up only to steady himself. He let Clover pound into him, grasping his chest with her front claws. She tried to push his forefeet out from under him but he was too firm. He picked up his paw and knocked her over instead. He leaned down, grabbing her neck in his mouth.

Clover choked, unable to get air. Her back legs tore into Sullen's face, cutting his lip and his eye lid. Her front paws were useless and she couldn't twist, else it would drive his teeth deeper. For once she felt actual fear. She forgot everything Whitetoes had taught her. Her gaze of Sullen's shoulder went into a narrow tunnel of light. Blackness was all around her and her strength ebbed. She heard a gurgling noise and slowly realized it was her. For a moment she wasn't in her body and she looked at the scene as if from a tree branch.

Sullen was leaning over her, driving her into the ground as he held on. The tortoiseshell legs kicked slower and the face was so blank, the green eyes staring into the darkening sky. Clover watched, feeling nothing as she saw herself die. It was strange, she thought. She should at least be angry. But she wasn't. She blinked and looked away, she lifted a paw to start walking. She felt drawn by something. It tickled at her nose, telling her to go onward.

Bark, having pulled himself from a bush after realizing he wouldn't get hurt, came closer. His tail twitched and for a moment he just stared. Then he ran forward, pawing Sullen's side.

"Stop it," Bark meowed. "Don't kill her!"

Sullen glanced at the tabby and held tighter. Clover watched blood pool at his mouth corners. The tortoiseshell kicked once more and was still.

"You don't want the Clan coming after us!" Bark hissed. "If they find her dead, they won't stop until we are!"

Sullen nodded and released his hold on the she-cat. Clover felt herself be pulled down and as the darkness receded, she gasped. Her neck hurt so bad and her claws felt as if rain drops were hitting them. She lay on the ground, gasping and recovering as life started making sense again. She was no longer floating in the air. She was herself again. She was alive.

She pulled herself to her feet in time to see Sullen and Bark take off, prey dangling from their jaws.

"That's right, run!" she snarled at their backs. Her voice was hoarse and her throat hurt with every breath. "Run you sullen-faced fleapelt!"

The play on his name jabbed Sullen and he faced her again. He dropped the vole and looked straight at Clover.

"You're only still alive because of your Clan," he hissed. "If they weren't rulers of this forest, you'd be dead."

"At least I have a Clan," she growled. "You're nothing but starving rogues on your own. I know how to hunt and to care for myself. You two have nothing. I have a family, I have StarClan, I have a warm place to sleep every leafbare! Someone cares if I die!"

Sullen eyes glowed as he stared at her.

"You won't for long," he hissed. "You Clan cats think too much of yourselves."

"Let's go," Bark mewled at his side, his mouse dangling by a tail.

Sullen nodded and followed the brown tabby through the brush. Clover gulped and after quickly licking her paws over her dirty face, she left the area. She avoided the boulder with the crack and _hurried back to her catch. All the time she was thinking about the encounter. The only reason she was alive was because of Bark- if she was to believe that odd dream. She hadn't been able to defend herself. As she looked at the remnants of her catch, she made a vow that she would never again lose a fight. Especially not to a rogue. Not ever again!_

_****__-Line-_

Frog stared at her wide eyed when Cloverleaf finished.

"You met Sullen before?" he squeaked out.

She nodded her head. "He wasn't some unknown tom that just came to take over our Clan, Frog. He was planning this for a while. I just sometimes wonder how he convinced the others to join him."

"The same could be ask of the one who banded our Clan," Petal meowed. "How did Raven manage it?"

The rest of the group shrugged. They certainly didn't know. They didn't know much of their past Clan life past two leaders. Duststripe only knew of Glide and Petal he didn't even know the Clan leader before. He was a bit surprised at how little history he was aware of. He sat there and thought, looking at his brown paws.

"What happened when you got back to the camp?" Frog asked.

"Whitetoes wondered what happened and I had to tell him. A patrol went out to find the toms, but never did. After that, Petal made a rule that no cat could go out alone," Cloverleaf answered, looking at her leader.

Petal nodded. "It seemed to work. We didn't have any more problems with Sullen or the other rogues. I guess I was getting a bit relaxed because I thought that meant the threat was over. Unfortunately it wasn't. Sullen was just preparing his attack. Maybe if I'd been more diligent."

The red leader sighed.

"You did nothing wrong, Petal," Waterdrop meowed, rubbing her head with his own. "No one suspected it. I felt we should have been warned but nothing could have known what he was going to do."

Petal nodded.

"That's all my story," Cloverleaf meowed, getting up to stretch.

"Nothing else?" Frog whined. "I want to hear about your second battle! Did you win?"

Cloverleaf smiled and shook her head. "Yes. I won most of my battles after. Whitetoes was a good mentor. It wasn't long before I became a warrior."

"Did you get an apprentice?" Frog asked eagerly.

Cloverleaf nodded. "I got to mentor Fishbelly."

Frog blinked and then frowned. "That was such a long time ago," he meowed finally. "Do you think you could be mine?"

He looked at her.

Duststripe breathed in sharply and looked at Petal. She looked at Frog and then Cloverleaf for a while when the dapple she-cat turned to her a faint hopeful look on her face.

"Maybe," Petal finally meowed. "Maybe. For now, let's move on. It's passed sunhigh."

The cats nodded and then stood up. Petal decided it was time to head through the forest of tall, shadowed stalks. They walked to the fence. As they neared, Duststripe felt dread. He didn't like the look of these plants. He didn't like not seeing where he was going. The others weren't worried. They slipped under the barbed wire and across the strip of bare ground to the stalks. Cloverleaf was the first to disappear into the stalk forest. Her pelt brushed the long steams, shaking them. The stalks rattled. As Cloverleaf continued in, her path became a whispering trail. Duststripe flicked an ear but followed Frog. Lightberry was in front of the kit and she looked back at him once before heading into the stalks.

Duststripe hesitated before going in but with a deep breath, he plunged into the shadows. It was different from the field only a few steps in. The shadows were oppressive, the stalks too thick. Sounds were muffled. Though the field was silent, there was the occasional bird call and whistling of the flaring wind. These stalks were different. There were no birds. The imitation of the wind were the six cats pushing through the stalks. Their breathing seemed almost loud in the darkness. Duststripe could hear Petal and Waterdrop to his right, Cloverleaf somewhere ahead and on the left, and he could almost see Lightberry before him. Duststripe stayed close to his son, not wanting to lose him. One other sound was the roaring they'd constantly heard since they reached the field of stalks. It was muffled but it seemed to be growing louder.

Duststripe paused and raised his head. The roaring *was* growing louder and he could hear more rustles. That was far more than his group was making. It was as if two whole Clans were pushing their way through the stalks. He felt his heart pound as fear suddenly lit.

"Is that getting louder?" an echoed meow asked.

Duststripe thought it was Cloverleaf.

"I think it is," an echo sounding like Petal answered, surprised.

The cats stopped pushing through the stalks and froze. Duststripe watched a shadow twist its head, searching for the noise. It was Lightberry just ahead of him. Duststripe searched as well. Which direction was it coming from? The muffled echos made it hard to pinpoint. It was worse than stalking through fog. An odd tang filled the air and with it Duststripe could detect a freshly cut smell, like when Waterdrop tore the leaves off of his herbs. Duststripe's face twitched as he realized something was cutting down these stalks. He wanted to tell his son to run, but he was afraid that Frog might run straight for the beast cutting down the stalks. Unfortunately just standing there the six of them could get cut with the stalks.

The ground began to rumble underpaw and the stalks started shivering. Large seeds rained down from above, mixing with the ones already on the ground. They hit Duststripe's back like pellets and his skin itched as if fleas were jumping on him. He leaned back and licked them hurriedly off.

Frog scrambled to his father and hid under Duststripe's chest. Duststripe huddled over his son. He continued to stare as the sound got louder. His throat became dry as he just waited for the end. The other cats didn't say a thing as they waited. Duststripe could see the shadowy Lightberry's fur puffed out to make her into a large furball. He couldn't see the others but he was sure they looked the same. He sure felt his fur standing on end.

The roar suddenly wasn't muffled anymore and something sounding like claws cutting into flesh roared behind Duststripe. He whirled, tripping over Frog and saw, only a tail length behind him, the stalks fall, only to be sucked into a green monster he saw only for a brief instant.

That glance was all he needed. He picked himself up and ran forward, away from the cut and the machine. Frog was with him and he could tell Lightberry had gone ahead. Her smell was the only thing that remained of her. Duststripe couldn't hear the stalks rustle with cat movements because the roaring was still loud. He could only see and smell Frog by his side, running as hard as his apprentice-sized legs would carry him. Duststripe could only calm his heart enough to stay with his son. He was sure that if Frog wasn't there, he'd be running just like the rest of the warriors.

The stalks seemed to go on forever, the roaring always there, somehow nearing and going away all the time. Duststripe could never tell what direction it would come from, but he was always alert, frightened that it might overtake him. And then the stalks just ended. A strip of bare ground was quickly covered as Frog and Duststripe plunged into the forest. Familiar trees towered overhead and the undergrowth felt nice underpaw. The shadows weren't as oppressive as the ones in the stalks and the roaring faded away as bird singing came to Duststripe's ears. He felt his heart slowing down and his legs stopped running. He stared into the beautiful changing leaves on the tall elms and oak trees. He could even spot a hickory or a pine tree in the thick ness. For once he felt as if he were home and that all his running was over. He almost wanted to find Summerheat Camp buried away in the trees.

Frog wasn't as calm. He kept looking back over his shoulder and to the stalks he could see through the tree gaps. He huddled against Duststripe, his breath squeaking. Duststripe could feel his son shiver. Duststripe leaned down and licked his son, cleaning him from the dust and the stalk seeds. Frog seemed to calm down with the licking. Soon Frog was blinking his eyes sleepily. Duststripe sighed and looked around. He wondered where everyone had disappeared to. He looked at the sky through the tree leaves and saw that it was almost evening. He decided to find someplace to sleep. He was sure the monster cutting the stalks wouldn't come into the forest. He guided Frog over to a thick bush and then they both curled up. As Duststripe closed his eyes he realized just how tired he was. He was asleep in heartbeats.

* * *

_Hey if you want to know the old Clan (Cloverleaf's apprentice story) look down:_

_**Leader**__ Petal- red-brown she-cat with light gray spots  
__**Deputy **__Bluelightning- swift silver-blue tom  
__**Leafcats**__ Waterdrop silver gray tom with blue eyes  
Dancingeyes- brown, long-furred she-cat with fiery amber eyes_

_**Warriors**_

_Desertfur- large brown tom with large tufted ears and dark marks around eyes  
Clearecho- white she-cat with blue eyes and brown chin  
Foreststep- white tom with silver legs and green eyes  
Whitetoes- dusty gray tabby tom with white toes and blaze over face  
apprentice: Clover  
Streaminglight- white she-cat with green eyes  
Lightberry- brown she-cat with black spots  
apprentice: Lily  
Elmpath- black tom with faint spotting  
Mousefoot- gray tabby she-cat with light brown legs_

_**Apprentices**_

_Lily- tortoiseshell she-cat with white stripe along back  
Clover- tortoiseshell she-cat with a black spot resembling clover_

_**Queens**_

_Dawneyes- gray tabby she-cat with golden eyes, mother of Whitetoes two kits: Golden (golden tabby she-cat with green eyes) and Dust (brown tom with thick dark stripes)_  
_Snowfeather- dark white she-cat with gray paws with green eyes, mother of Foreststep's three kits: Red (white tom with a red face and tail), Fish (short-haired she-cat) and Stream (light gray tabby she-cat)_

_**Elders**_

_Voletail- brown tom with missing tail_

**Timeline:**

Waterdrop born. 2 moons later Petal is born. Waterdrop enters Clan then becomes apprentice. Petal and brother become apprentice. Waterdrop made medicine cat a moon after. Petal made warrior, has apprentice. Stream and Petalface meet silver queen (Silvermoon) and her three kits, a week later find them dead. Lightberry and brother, Dusk, are born. They go missing three moons later and Dusk is injured. They become apprentices. Goldengrove goes missing, Petalface promoted to deputy. Clover is born. Lightberry and Crookedclaw become warriors. Clover's siblings killed by Crookedclaw. Clover becomes apprentice. Duststripe is born. Clover becomes warrior. Duststripe becomes apprentice. Duststripe becomes warrior, falls in love with Lilyfern. A few moons later Frog is born. Clan attacked by Sullen, the six run away.


	12. Chapter 11: Duststripe's Story

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_I'm back! The last day of testing is tomorrow and hopefully after the graduation I can write more, at least until I take a trip. So here's part of the rest of the story. I wrote this a short time ago but I edited it a bit. Here you are. Thanks to my reviewers: _Ginnystar, XxThunderspiritxX, Darkness of the Eclipse, Anidori-Isilee, Chat et Chocolat, and Shiningspirit.

_I had this really awesome summery all prepared but I lost it when I switched rooms. Hopefully I can write what I remember. Sigh. If I ever find it, I'm replacing this one. It's so drab in comparison._

_EDIT: I found it. Sorry to all you that don't get to read it, but I'm putting it in for all future readers._

_Summery: The six left Summerheat Camp in a forest far away when rogues took over the Clan. The six to escape were leader Petal; leafcat Waterdrop; warriors Lightberry, Cloverleaf, and Duststripe and his kit Frog. They were chased by a group of six hunters for the remainder of greenleaf (summer) across a large grassland. Along the way they each shared stories of their lives. Petal spotted a forest and decided it was time for the group to stop running and make a stand to possibly return to Summerheat Camp. But to get to the forest, they had to cut throughy a forest of stalks (corn or wheat, your choice). We last left this story with Duststripe once again separated from the rest of the group. The six had been chased through the stalks by a harvesting tractor. They got into the forest, but Duststripe and Frog could see no one else..._

* * *

**Part Two: Leaf-fall thru Leafbare**

**Chapter 11**

Duststripe was awake before the sun rose. A golden yellow lit the tips of the dark green leaves and birds called in the forest beyond. He stayed under the bush and watched his son sleep. The poor kit exhausted himself in the run yesterday. Duststripe had too, but he recovered quickly. Now all Duststripe wanted to do was find the others. For the third time he was separated. Only this time it was worse. He was in unfamiliar territory and he knew the others were probably safe and nearby. He didn't want to look for them. He decided to stay where he was, letting them find him. He wondered how long that would take. Then he wondered what he'd do if they didn't come. He would probably continue to stay in the area, hoping they'd show. Unfortunately he had a feeling they might not. He might not see another cat again.

Frog stirred, twitching his brown paws. Duststripe shook off his frightened thoughts and nudged his kit awake. The young tom's eyes opened and he gave a great yawn, his tongue curling and his whiskers shaking.

"Let's go hunting," Duststripe meowed.

Frog's eyes shined and he stood up, following his father out of the bush. The leaves shook at their passing as they entered into morning.

"What are we going to catch?" Frog asked as they left the bush. "A bird a mouse? How about a rabbit?"

Duststripe was about to answer his son when a ginger streak shot passed them. The undergrowth bobbed in the passing and the scratching of claws echoed down from a tree trunk.

"How about squirrel?" he asked.

"Squirrel?" Frog tilted his head in confusion.

Duststripe knew his son hadn't seen a squirrel since Tanglewood. This would be a good thing to catch. He smiled and waved his tail. Frog hurried after.

Later the two lay down on the soft ground, eating squirrels.

"Since we're waiting for the others," Duststripe meowed around the thick fur, "would you like to hear a story?"

Frog nodded eagerly. He seemed to like his squirrel and had demanded Duststripe show him how to hunt one. Duststripe didn't want to because Frog wasn't an apprentice yet. Frog would have to wait another half moon.

"I'll start with how I met your mother."

_**-Line-**_

_Duststripe hadn't been a warrior for long. It had only been a moon since Streaminglight's death by the weasel. Duststripe proudly wore the name she'd given him at her last breath. Perhaps he was thinking too highly of himself because one day in leaf-fall he was showing off to the apprentices Red, Fish, and Stream. They sat on the riverbank watching him fish. Behind them the wide field spread out to the forest. It was the usual place to fish and he'd told them he knew how to kill two fish at one. They believed him so now he crouched down, watching the fish. Their slow dark shapes floated beneath the surface, tantalizing and mysterious._

"It's been sunlengths," Red complained loudly.

The white tom with the red muzzle should have been with his mentor, but the three apprentices had run off with Duststripe that morning. They had been denmates for a while after all. They'd done things together before. Duststripe hadn't wanted them to feel abandoned after he became a warrior and so tried to spend time with them.

"I have to wait for the right moment," Duststripe hissed back. He was frustrated. The fish weren't getting close to each other. Duststripe had a feeling he might have to go in the water after them. The thought didn't bother him though. He liked water and sometimes he longed to swim in it, but there wasn't any deep spot near Tanglewood.

"I could have caught these things faster," Red meowed.

"Then get down here and do it!"

Red twitched his nose and then stalked down, sliding down the bank in the slick mud. It covered his white paws. He entered the water, the dirt trailing downstream. Startled by the movements, the fish flicked away. His sister kept their eyes on him, wondering who would get what first. Red crouched in the water with Duststripe, letting the fish get use to him and return to their swimming. The toms waited as the fish got closer. Their waving bodies floated near.

Red struck. Duststripe could tell the attack came too soon and at the wrong angle. Red missed the fish and lost his balance, tilting over, his front paw slipping on the stones under the clear water. The apprentice went under for only a second and came up sputtering. The she-cat's giggled. Their tails wiggled as they ducked their heads close together.

Red glared at them and at Duststripe. The warrior shrugged and looked back at the fish. They were gone, startled by the splash having hidden elsewhere. He peered under a large rock but didn't spot any movement.

"I can't get anything now," the brown tom sighed. He stepped out of the water and started climbing the bank.

"Get back here!" Red growled, his fur still dripping. "You can't just give up! You said you could catch two, now do it!"

"Yeah," Fish meowed from above. "If you don't, I won't believe you. I think you lied to us."

"Yeah," Stream, their sister, echoed.

Duststripe paused and felt his pelt warm. He had told them and they were his friends. He couldn't look like a fool in front of them.

"Come on, Duststripe, I know you can do it."

Duststripe looked up as an older warrior joined the she-cats on the bank. The tortoiseshell she-cat with a white stripe down her back sat down peering over the side with her bright green eyes. Lilyfern. Duststripe almost sighed as he stared at her. She was one of the prettiest she-cat in the Clan and Duststripe had a crush on her since he was a kit.

"I will," Duststripe meowed. He turned around and looked for the fish. He could see their waving shadows farther downstream. The clouds above provided the perfect reflection. He didn't have to squint his eyes at the glare from the sun. He quickly went to the fish and after a short preparation, struck out at them. He'd been so eager to get one and show Lilyfern what he could do that he'd misjudged the distance. His claws hit the fishtail and as it fled, leaving trails of blood. Duststripe was pulled in after. His face went under and he breathed water in shock. He came up gagging and shaking his head. He could hear the apprentices laughing again and looked back with embarrassment. While the she-cat apprentice leaned against each other, Lifyfern hid the glee in her eyes and Red looked smug.

"See," the white tom meowed. "You couldn't do it. Let's go."

He waved his tail, jumped up the slope, and he and his siblings left.

Lilyfern stayed. She watched the miserable Duststripe get out of the water and shake his fur. The drops sparkled as they left his fur, rippling the water and diving into the bank.

"Good try," Lilyfern meowed.

"Thanks," Duststripe sighed. That hadn't been a good one at all. Duststripe's father was the best fisher in the Clan. Why hadn't Duststripe done better?

"What are you doing here?" Duststripe asked Lilyfern as he jumped up the bank.

"I came to get the apprentices," Lilyfern meowed. "Their mentors were worried. Lightberry thought she saw you taking them, so I followed your scent."

"Oh," Duststripe meowed, not sure what to say now. "Um, do you want to go hunting?" he asked.

Lilyfern nodded. "Let's hunt here," she meowed, waving her tail. Duststripe nodded and looked at the field. He could still see the three apprentices marching their way to the forest. "Sure," Duststripe agreed. Perhaps he could catch something else to impress her.

_Lilyfern stretched her long legs and Duststripe watched the sunlight ripple over them. Lilyfern winked at him and trotted off. Duststripe followed. For a while his mind wasn't on hunting at all._

_**-Line-**_

"That was the first time I really spoke with her," Duststripe told Frog. "After that I stayed near her more often. Soon, Dancingeyes said Lilyfern was going to have kits. I was excited and when you were born, it was so hard to believe Lilyfern and I were your parents. You were so small," Duststripe stopped and looked into the distance, remembering the morning his three sons were born. Lilyfern had been happy too, and licked Duststripe's head when he leaned to sniff the kits.

"Is that how love goes?" Frog asked. His eyes looked wary. "You meet, fall in love, have kits?"

Duststripe nodded, smiling.

"What if I don't want kits," Frog stubbornly meowed. "I don't want to send my mate to the nursery. That place sounds no fun."

Duststripe blinked at his son for a few heartbeats and shook his head. "In time you'll understand," he purred.

"Never," Frog vowed. "Love is so inconvenient."

Duststripe rolled his eyes, certain Frog had heard that from Cloverleaf.

"What do we do today?" Frog asked.

"Today we're going to wait for everyone else to show," Duststripe meowed, standing up. "I'm going to show you some hunting moves."

So what if it would be a bit early for Frog? Duststripe suddenly wanted to do more with his son.

Frog's eyes shined and he leapt to his feet.

**_-Line-_**

Evening came swiftly covering the sky in a thick blanket of black, silver stars blinking between the still leaves. The two toms went back to their bush. Frog was tired and he panted, collapsing onto the leaves. Duststripe quickly cleaned his son and curled up around him. He had enjoyed teaching. It had been fun and even relaxing. He could still remember the experience of Streaminglight teaching him. Soon he laid down and his mind started to drift. Almost a few moondrifts later, he heard the brush of fur on leaves. Pawsteps thrummed over moss and ferns. Duststripe's ears went up and he sat tensely over his kit. Who was coming?

"Do you smell that?" a voice whispered.

A loud rushing noise responded. Quickly the sound of a paw hit resounded.

"Not so loudly!"

A muffled reply.

"That's too many intruders," the first voice hissed. "We have to warn Tide."

Duststripe still couldn't hear the answer, but the two cats started running again, the ferns and branches shaking in their wake. Duststripe let out the breath he'd been holding. He hadn't wanted to be found by them. They hadn't seemed friendly. Now he was worried these cats might gather their Clan and attack. He slowly settled back down, but he didn't sleep. The dark shadows under the bush was all he could see.

Morning came and with it the calling of birds. Duststripe let his son sleep while he went hunting. When he returned, two mice in his jaws, he heard Frog's voice. It rose and fell in happy squeaks. A lower voice replied. Duststripe realized the kit was talking with someone. The hair on his neck rose and he stalked forward, dropping the mice to the ground. He stepped lightly and slowly. His feet touched the dirt and he was careful not to press to hard, as if stalking a mouse. Not a sound came from him, he kept his breathing shallow. The round bush the only thing in his sight. He came nearer, his shoulders hunching.

Duststripe dove, claws out. The leaves spread in his wake. He barely missed tripping over his son and came face to face with a red she-cat. She snarled at him, startled. Duststripe growled back and ducked as she swung for him. He rolled out of the way, and stood to protect Frog, but by that time his claws had retracted. He could recognize the cat's smell and his body was quicker to react than his mind. As the red she-cat stood straight and stopped growling, Duststripe recognized Petal. He licked his lips and felt his ears go hot.

"How did you find us?" He was surprised but extremely glad.

"I followed two rogues' scent from the camp," Petal answered as she smoothed down the fur on her chest. "I was concerned when I smelled them this morning. They'd been circling our camp last night. Luckily I found your scent too after following them."

"Did you look for us before?" Duststripe asked, feeling annoyed the others had set up a camp without him. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes," Petal nodded. "They're all fine, but Waterdrop cut his paw on some of that shining vine blocking in those stalks. Anyway we found each other quickly. You didn't show yesterday so I said today I'd send searchers. Cloverleaf went farther into the forest, Waterdrop stayed at camp of course, and Lightberry went along the forest edge in the opposite direction I took."

Duststripe blinked. They hadn't given up after all. They'd just hoped he'd go to them.

"I smell mice," Petal sniffed, her nose twitching.

"I'll go get it," Duststripe meowed. He left the bush and went to get his prey. Later the three started back to camp. The walk was long through the tall trees. They towered above, thick scraggy bark leading up their round sides. He glanced up and saw that some of the leaves were turning yellow at their ends. The ground was surprisingly sparse of undergrowth, not like Tanglewood at all. It was mostly dirt with some rocks but Duststripe knew the leaves would cover it and he wondered how it wasn't still on the ground from last leafbare.

"We're here," Petal suddenly meowed.

Duststripe was expecting a place already set up and prepared for a long stay. Instead a few piles of moss were scattered around a tree stump. Waterdrop was laying in one, his paw swathed in cobwebs. His eyes were half-closed and his breath wheezed.

"Is he okay?" Frog whispered, leaning into his father.

"What happened yesterday wasn't really good for him," Petal answered. "He's getting old."

Duststripe didn't want to say she was as well, but she seemed to have handled the panicked run a lot better than Waterdrop.

The leafcat opened his eyes as Petal licked his head. He blinked up at the leader and for a moment purred before drifting off to sleep.

"We'll wait here for the others to show," Petal meowed. "I said to come back when they'd found you, or at evening."

"We have a long wait," Frog observed.

Petal smiled. "Yes we do."

"Then Duststripe should tell another story to pass the time," Frog mewed brightly, staring at his father.

"It seems a bit unfair without everyone else here," Duststripe protested.

"They won't mind," Petal meowed. "Besides there are other opportunities. We do have to figure out what we'll do every full moon after all."

In the Camp at Tanglewood every full moon the Clan got together and told what accomplishments they or others had done. Stories from the distant past were also told if remembered. The night was to help the Clan get to know itself and the members better. On occasion a rogue had even joined them for a night of piece. Everyone was welcome to the prey caught on a full-moon-night. It was all part of the tradition passed down from the Clan's creation.

"All right," Duststripe sighed. "I'll tell one more."

The three of them settled around Waterdrop, who wasn't sleeping after all, just keeping his eyes closed (he opened one as Petal wrapped around him), and Duststripe started speaking.

"I had a sister once. Not many cats know that because she- well, I'll just tell the story. . . ."

**-_Line-_**

_Dust and Golden were siblings. Son and daughter of Whitetoes and Dawneyes. They were raised well and had friends in another litter of kittens. They became apprentices rather quickly and they proved to be very intelligent. Golden was a quick learner and was on her way to becoming one of the Clan's greatest hunters. To challenge her skill, Golden loved hunting in the bog. As a kit, the bog had intrigued both Dust and Golden and Dust could admit he felt a bit of fear when Streaminglight first took him in there. She told him he had to learn how to use the bog and it's resources _if he wanted to be a good warrior. The Clan had to know every inch of their territory and find where each excelled to help their Clan. She promised if he didn't do that well, he never had to go back. Dust had agreed. So he learned the basics of the bog and how to manage and how to hunt. He slowly realized it wasn't that dangerous if he was cautious. The stories of Crookedclaw and the two kits almost seemed ridiculous now that he was an apprentice.

Golden loved being in the bog though. She loved the challenge and her mentor said she would be a good help when the rains came. The bog always had some sort of prey in gentle storms when all others went into hiding. Golden had glowed with the praise. It just so happened one day, during a rain storm, Golden encouraged Dust to come with her so they could hunt. The rest of the Clan was sleeping, taking the day as a rest time.

The two apprentices entered the low slung trees, water dripping around them in the gray mist. Underpaw was wet but springing until the ferns and moss gave way to deeper mud. Their legs became coated and Dust was starting to feel a bit cold. He sneezed.

"Let's get to an island," Golden meowed. "We'll catch some frogs there."

"Okay," Dust meowed. He wanted to catch something easy. He wished he'd stayed back at camp in his nice, warm nest, sleeping and dreaming about Lilyfern one of the beautiful warriors.

Golden's tail smacked his face.

"Stop daydreaming," she hissed and bounded off. She stepped only on the thick tussocks of grass peaking through the mud. Dust followed her. The less muddy places became fewer and fewer the deeper they got. The vines and branches started handing down farther, getting in their way until they blocked out the light from above. Dust could only see with his night vision.

"Golden, I don't hear anything," he meowed. "There can't be any prey."

Golden sighed and sat down. "There has to be something. Frogs like the rain."

Dust didn't comment. He flicked a raindrop from his ear and sat down. The whole area around them was wet and dark. He didn't feel confident he knew the way out of the bog. He was starting to get nervous.

"You know what Foreststep says about the dark?" Golden spoke up, a small smile on her face.

"What?" Dust asked.

"That the ghost of cats wander looking for apprentices to kill."

Dust glared at her. That wasn't funny. The branches knocked together farther in the bog. Dust jumped, his wet fur almost standing on end as he stared with wide eyes. Golden laughed, rocking back and forth.

"I can't believe that you believe me," she snorted.

Dust glared at her some more, licking his back fur straight again. He didn't like it here. It was too wet and he wanted out.

"I'm leaving," he growled and started walking away.

"No,"Golden protested. "Let's do something. We just can't give up. I don't want to go back just to sleep."

Her stomach growled and she looked at her brother pleadingly.

He frowned at her, but his anger was already leaving. At least she wasn't continuing that silly story.

Later the day found the two apprentices racing around the bog, pretending the ghost cats from the sky was after them. Golden raced up a curving branch. "Oh, help, Dust," she mewed. "He's going to get me!"

"I got him," Dust declared, fighting the air with outstretched claws. He flipped and pretended to bite the enemy.

"Behind you," he yelled when he was done.

Golden turned around quickly and gasped. She raced away, higher up into the trees. Dust jumped upward, following her. She raced away, laughing and panting. Her claws slipping on the branches as she hurried onward. Dust grinned as he followed, imagining catching up to the cat after his sister. Then suddenly she stopped. Surprised, Dust tried to grasp onto the branch with his claws. They slipped and he jerked forward, slamming into his sister. She lost her balance and twisting, tried to hold onto something. Dust lunged forward to grab her, but she was already out of reach. Dust could only watch as she fell through the gaps in the branches and hit the ground. It didn't sound like she'd broken anything and Dust sighed in relief. He quickly lowered himself down to get to her when he noticed she was sinking. The mud had come up over her fur, starting to cover her legs and the side of her face.

"Golden?" he called down. She didn't move or react. He tried to go faster but he was scared of slipping. As he went down, he saw the mud rising up around her. It started covering her nose. The mud bubbled out and her eyes snapped open. Dust could only see one eye as the other had gone below.

"Dus-" she tried to cough out, but the mud filled it. She struggled to get up but her back end sunk lower.

"Golden!" he yelled, almost to the ground.

"Don't," she hissed.

He froze wondering what she meant. She sank even lower. He stepped down, but his paw slipped under the mud. He almost lost his balance and fell off of the branch.

"Don't touch the ground," Golden coughed out.

He pulled his paw out and stared at her. The mud was up to her neck, her tail long disappeared. Her eyes were wide, her breathing rapid and harsh.

"Get out of here," she growled at him, swallowing as the mud reached her chin.

_He shook his head and wrapped his tail around his legs as he searched the branches for something to pull her out with. The rain started again, dripping downward from the sky he couldn't see. His fur got soaked again. By the time he looked back he wasn't sure if Golden was crying or if it were just the rain in her eyes._

_**-Line-**_

Frog stared at his father, his mouth open.

"I can't believe you just told that story," Waterdrop growled. His lip curled up other his white teeth as he glared at Duststripe. Then he lowered his head to get back to sleeping.

Duststripe lowered his ears. "That s why I didn't want to tell it in front of Cloverleaf."

Petal looked down without saying anything and Duststripe realized he might not be the best storyteller. He had to do something to get their mind off of his horrible past.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" he asked.

"Look for a permanent camp," Petal replied rasing her head and forcing her voice to be bright. "We have to find something to last the leafbare."

"What are we going to do about the rogues?"

"They might not return," she replied.

"Did she die?" Frog interrupted. "Didn't you even try to get her out?"

Duststripe blinked and looked at his son. "I would have tried, but there was nothing. It was too late by the time I realized I could have gone to camp for help."

He swallowed fighting off the lump in his throat.

"Don't dwell on it, Frog," Petal brushed her tail down Frog's brown and gray back. "You don't want to think about it."

Frog looked a bit annoyed and stalked off. Duststripe made sure his son didn't go far before suggesting they hunt. They still have to wait for Cloverleaf and Lightberry to come back after all. The two she-cats would be hungry.

* * *

**I know, lame ending, but I couldn't really do anything to end what happened with Golden. So until the next time!**


	13. Chapter 12: The New Camp

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _GinnyStar, Chat et Chocolat, Anidori-Isilee, Darkness of the Eclipse, _and_ xXThunderspiritXx

_Sorry for last time's sad ending, this should be better. And no more life stories. Yeah! (unless you'd think Frog had an unusual memory)_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

The next morning, the six cats left the trunk behind. The low, barkless stump remained ringed by six nests of dented moss and bones from prey. They cats made their way through the forest, led by Cloverleaf who had gone that way yesterday. They walked around the coloring forest, the leaves above rustling in a slow breeze. A few fell down to the bare ground. Duststripe watched them, his tail twitching. He could remember chasing around falling leaves before when he was younger.

Frog meanwhile didn't pass up the moment, leaping into the air at any approaching leaf. He twisted in the air, his young body flashing in the sunlight. He'd land, dust rising from his paw steps, panting but a satisfied look in his eyes, a broken, crumpled leaf delicately held between his teeth.

Lightberry praised him, saying that he'd make a great bird hunter. Duststripe smiled and let them talk, watching Waterdrop as he limped along, his paw swathed in cobwebs and some herb. He was doing better, but the leafcat was in some pain. They'd been unable to find poppy seeds but the tom insisted they keep going. Petal looked worried but didn't make them wait until the leafcat got better.

Abruptly the forest ended. Duststripe could see bands of morning sunlight through the narrow trees. The glow landed on the bare ground, scattering in the rustling leaves. They approached the end warily, peering through the tree trunks onto a short field of tall yellowing grass. Tall patches of yellow and orange wildflowers dotted the field until the forest started again many fox lengths away. Boulders littered the places between.

"I saw this when I explored yesterday," Cloverleaf meowed. She sat right on the edge, peering through.

Duststripe moved forward to sit next to her and look. He could see the forest curving around to his right to connect to the part that jutted out in front of them. It was just this small patch that remained treeless. To his left the field narrowed to a point where large, squarish, rocklike things sat.

"A tall creature that walked on two legs came from that dwellingplace," Cloverleaf continued, nodded her head to what Duststripe was looking at. "The only fur it had on its body was trailing down from its head. There was this animal that bounded beside the twoleg, panting." She looked horrified and disgusted all at the same time.

Duststripe shivered, not quite able to imagine what she'd seen. Instead he concentrated on what he could. He looked across the stretch of grass to the shadow of the trees as they reached out to him. It wasn't too far to the forest but he didn't want to walk out.

"I don't see that . . . Twoleg now," Lightberry meowed, looking around.

"Should we cross here or go around?" Petal asked.

"Why should we waste time?" Frog asked, suddenly stepping out. "It's not like we haven't crossed open ground before"

The kit stretched his legs, walking into the sun. It rippled down his back, reflecting in his gray-brown fur. Frog looked up at the sun, his legs sliding through the grass easily. He couldn't remember anything but the grasslands. He didn't really remember living in the forest or how to behave in it.

"Get back here," Duststripe hissed. "You don't know what could be out there."

"What should I be scared of?" the kit asked. He turned around, standing defiantly. His tail curled over his back, his ears pricked high on his head, completely unworried. The grass reached his underbelly, the slight breeze twisting the stalks in his lighter belly fur. he squinted in the sunlight as he faced the warriors.

"Snakes for one," Waterdrop drawled in his usual annoyed voice. His injured paw was raised off of the ground, hovering delicately. His blue eyes crusted half closed. "That twoleg and its animal for the other. They might return." He stood straighter, placing the paw on the ground with a slight wince. "But I agree, we can't waste time. Let's get over there and find a camp."

Surprised by Waterdrop's sudden vigor, the other cats left the forest for the soft green and yellow grass. They followed the gray tom out, watching him with slight confusion. Frog looked pleased and lifted his short tail high. He turned around to lead the others on. A flower bobbed by his side, a whiff of its plain scent blowing across the cats.

As Duststripe left the shade for the brought sunhigh, he felt fear trickle along his back like a snake. He might have lived on the plains for a moon or so and he knew he could see anything approaching (not like in a forest where anything could hide behind trees and undergrowth, but here he felt open and watched. Felt that something from above would pounce or an animal would come out of ambush from the ground. In the forest he'd felt at home and relaxed. Now that he had to leave, the old nervousness and sense of being followed returned.

He padded beside Lightberry, the others strung out in a ragged line. Cloverleaf walked behind them keeping watch. Frog took the leader position, happily padding forward with his tail waving in the air. The rest were near the center, protecting the weaker elders. The sun beat down on Duststripe's darker back. It soaked in, trying to relax his tense muscles. The grass underpaw was soft with grass and warm, though hard with the lack of rain.

He kept his eyes on the jutting forest in front of him. It didn't seem to come any nearer. The trees grew taller and more full, wider even. The trees were different from the narrow ones they'd just left, as if they were approaching a deeper part of a forest and not the edge. Duststripe could hear birds in the coloring leaves and he could see their shadowed bodies flitting from tree to tree. Beneath the shadows, undergrowth rustled with prey. The large round trunks scoured with old scars, thick vines crawling up their rough sides. Above, the branches interlocked like in the Tanglewood bog. Duststripe felt the ground beneath his paws soften and he picked up his pace, his heart pounding. He wanted to be under cover, in that forest in front of him. The other seemed to feel the mood and started running. The forest neared and the six tumbled into the bushes, the sky and the sun blocked out by the leaves.

Duststripe pulled his head from a low fern and looked around at the others. Cloverleaf and Lightberry were under a large leafy bush, Waterdrop and Petal nearby in some roots covered by weeds, and Frog stood out in the open, looking nervous. Their breath came rapidly and the warriors looked at each other with wide eyes.

Suddenly Petal started laughing. Duststripe looked at her in surprise, his ears pulled back along his head, dulling sound. Frog looked even more confused.

"Look at us," Petal chortled. "Scared. We haven't even seen anything but here we are running."

Duststripe looked down feeling silly. His fur itched as if tick were burrowing into his pelt and he licked it to distract himself. They hadn't needed to run, but he'd started like a scared rabbit.

Cloverleaf growled low. "When I get my claws on those rogues." Obviously she was talking about the group that had hunted them from Tanglewood. They were the cause for the most fear on the journey. The five had only caught up once before, but Duststripe could still remember seeing their shadows on the next hill over, always following. He wondered where they were now. Had they turned back long ago? Or had they continued on?

"Let's get going," Petal meowed when she stopped laughing. The amusement hadn't left her eyes however.

Frog seemed to share it. His body was no longer tense as he stretched out, gaze on the moving leaves above.

Waterdrop got up, his gray fur dirtied with small pine needles and cones. He limped after, worse than before. Lightberry quickly walked next to him, acting like she wasn't helping at all. Duststripe shook off the ferns and hurried over to Frog. He kept an eye on the inquisitive kit.

Frog kept staring at the moving undergrowth. Ears flicked at every sound, twitching his whiskers. Duststripe could tell Frog couldn't wait to take off after these interesting sights and sounds. He had to make sure the kit didn't go out after them. On occasion Frog stumbled over rocks and roots on the ground, not paying attention to where he stepped. Duststripe wasn't paying attention either and when Frog suddenly leapt up, Duststripe turned, planting his face into a fallen tree.

Nose hurting and scratched, Duststripe backed off. He shook his head quickly wiping his paws on his muzzle. Frog laughed. Duststripe looked up to see Frog standing on top of the rotting log, claws buried deep into the loose bark as he rocked with every sound and purr. Duststripe glared up, but quickly jumped up after to make sure the others wouldn't come back and ask what the matter was. He ignored his smarting nose, afterward ignoring anything his son did. Frog could take care of himself.

It wasn't long before the forest edge again. The six paused in the under growth staring at another wide stretch of open ground filled with flowers and boulders. Duststripe looked around. He could still see the twoleg dwellingplace to his left and to his right the rest of the forest curved around. He blinked.

"What's going on?" Lightberry meowed. "Are we going in circles?"

"No, Mousebrain," Cloverleaf growled, "we're in a grove of trees!"

Duststripe blinked and realized what Cloverleaf meant to say. In a field of grass, this grove of trees was an island. He could see the rest of the forest in front of him sloping away probably to never end.

"Behave yourselves," Petal meowed, looking at her two warriors.

Lightberry looked ashamed, lowering her light brown head. Cloverleaf looked down also.

Petal turned away from them, looking at the rest of the field. "Should we cross now?"

"What do you mean?" Duststripe asked.

"We could get some freshkill. It is almost after sunhigh after all. I know that I'm hungry. I just don't know if the rest of you want to continue to the forest or stay here."

"We should keep going," Cloverleaf meowed. "I don't want to stay here. It seems so strange. This little grove is like a signal to come and get us. It's so small."

"What . . . thing do you know that wants to get us?" Waterdrop growled. He lay down, flopped on the ground, the injured paw near his chest.

"The rogues," Cloverleaf growled back, glaring down at him.

"They wouldn't cross that strip of field," Lightberry protested. "We were scared to do it. They'd rather take the easy way around if they're still following us. Not that I think they'd go through the stalks with the monster."

"What about those rogues from two nights ago?" Duststripe asked.

Everyone's ears went up as they looked at him. Duststripe could still hear the two talking. They'd spoken about others and someone named Tide being angry. Duststripe wasn't willing to meet them.

"I haven't seen or smelled them since," Cloverleaf meowed slowly, but her green eyes looked thoughtful. She quickly glanced around. "I don't think any cat's been here before."

"Then maybe that makes it a perfect place to stay," Petal meowed. Everyone turned to her now.

She stood in a small band of sunlight trickling through the leaves. It landed on her in spattering amounts, lighting up her red fur in odd patterns. Though old, she still had their respect and they'd follow her anywhere. But for once Duststripe wasn't sure.

"But if any cat would come here, what would we protect? We don't have a camp," he meowed.

"Then we can find one," she meowed. "If we don't decide now where we're going to stay for leafbare we may never make up our mind and kept going. The farther we get, the less likely I think we're ever going to return to Tanglewood." She spoke quietly now, her head bowed.

"I think this grove is perfect," Lightberry put in, smiling brightly. "We are protected because we can see anything coming across the field, no one wants to cross anyway and there is plenty of prey here. We could get through leafbare all right."

Petal smiled at the warrior, glad that someone was with her.

"All right," Cloverleaf meowed glancing at Lightberry. "I agree too."

Petal looked at Duststripe and he nodded his head. When the leader turned to Waterdrop, the leafcat meowed. "We better find a place soon so I can gather herbs."  
Petal smiled at him, blinking her golden eyes. "It's settled. Let's find us a camp."

Frog cheered, his young voice calling to the sky.

**LINELINELINE**

"How's this?" The kit asked. He stood in front of the small clearing, the other cats behind him. Duststripe looked at what the group had come to and wondered. A large boulder two foxlengths high stood near the far end. A wide tree rose behind it, part of it melded into the stone Large ferns blocked the bottom of the boulder from sight. Bushes of brambles and leaves dotted around the clearing, a few drooping flowers on long stems. Trailing halfway around the outside of the clearing, gorse poked its long thorns outward.

They'd just come across the clearing and it had taken most of the day. They'd traveled together first along the outer edges of the grove to see how large it actually was and then wound their way deeper inside, around thicker and nearer trees, bushes and undergrowth. They crawled between roots and fallen trunks. It almost was like the bog except for no water anywhere on the ground. So far they had found a small puddle of water but Petal was worried about the lack. They needed some water to drink after all. One section of the grove was covered in thick mist and no one wanted to go investigate all thought Waterdrop was certain water would be there. The fog seemed to hide everything and give plants on the outer edge a ghostly appearance.

All along the way though Frog would repeat his one question: "How's this?" Now that night was falling and lit the sky in a dull red and orange, the dark-blue sky lighting with dots of StarClan, Duststripe was growing tired. He found Frog's question now annoying. No place they'd found before had any agreement from all six cats and he was beginning to have doubts anyplace would be just perfect. They'd seen fallen trees, bushes, boulders, roots, almost everything that could work for dens, but still no one could agree.

"I like it," Lightberry suddenly meowed. She kept her eyes on the clearing, seeing in the dark shadows. "Over there could be the warrior den," she pointed to a large bramble bush with her tail, "the boulder could be Petal's den and Waterdrop could take another bush."

No one replied. Frog just stood, his tail and eyes drooping over. He suddenly yawned and Duststripe felt like copying him. "We could at least spend the night here," he meowed.

Waterdrop finally nodded. Petal watched him and then echoed the movement. They all looked to Cloverleaf.

"I don't have any objections," the young warrior replied. "It looks nice. Just when the snows come it will be tail deep."

Duststripe looked upward. She just had to complain about something.

The six walked into the clearing. Lightberry jumped over the low gorse while the others walked through the gap. They approached the boulder and quickly found the bushes to sleep in. They curled up for now, too tired to fix any nest or plan for any dens.

When morning came, Frog was the first up. He nudged his father until Duststripe opened his eyes. Lightberry pressed against his back, Petal at his feet. Duststripe looked up at Frog's narrow face. The kit's whiskers tickled his own face and he pulled his paws over his head.

"Duststripe," the kit whined. "Get up. I'm hungry."

Duststripe wanted to tell Frog to catch his own food, but he couldn't actually do that. Frog hadn't even learned. He reluctantly rolled over, leaving Lightberry. The warrior got out from under the bush, its small leaves clinging to his thickening fur. Outside the dawn was just starting. The birds whistled overhead and the light was filled with yellow and gold. Dew drops covered the ground and where Duststripe stepped, water clung to his fur. He quickly licked it off. Frog bounded along at his side as they walked away from camp and into the forest grove.

"Can you get another squirrel?" Frog asked, looking at his father.

"Maybe," Duststripe replied. He thought there might be some out. They would be collecting for their leafbare stores by now. He just didn't know where to find any. This wasn't Tanglewood and he knew none of the landmarks or where prey liked to go. He d have to go on luck for now.

"What else could you get?" Frog asked.

'A pain in the neck,' Duststripe thought glancing at his son. "Stay quiet," he hissed instead. "You'll scare everything off if you talk loudly. One of the first things to learn is to observe and stay quiet. Step lightly because you don't know what could be near."

Frog immediately closed his mouth, keeping his ears up and twitching. Duststripe smiled. At least Frog would listen.

Duststripe walked around a pine tree and felt the small cones prickling at his pads. He paused, and picked up his foot to examine the area. He could see faint indents in the ground and undergrowth. He quickly breathed in. The smell of squirrel wasn't so faint. He flicked an ear and motioned Frog away. The kit stumbled away, not so quiet. Duststripe sighed and followed. They hid beneath a tall bush, vines trailing down from a tree above. There they waited. It wasn't long before a squirrel came by, leaping and pausing, its long bushy tail twitching before it moved again. It would sit up on occasion and then go back on all fours, approaching the pine. It scuffled under the needles, pulling out a pine cone and pulling out seeds with its strong teeth. Frog shifted, his body suddenly tense. He brushed against the leave sides. The squirrel became so still, holding the cone in its teeth as it lowered down. It looked around, nervously. Duststripe gulped, praying to StarClan it wouldn't go anywhere. Slowly the squirrel twitched its tail and put its paws back on the cone.

Duststripe waited before moving forward. He was careful to keep his tail and head low and to not brush against the bush leaves. He pulled himself out, hoping that Frog wouldn't follow. He moved forward, staying low and pausing frequently. He kept his steps light and slow. He got nearer and at the last moment ran. The squirrel saw him and dropped the cone, darting away for the nearest tree trunk. Duststripe barreled after, no longer caring how loud he was. He managed to catch the squirrel by the tail. The prickly hairs filled his mouth and nose, making him want to sneeze. He pulled down, placing his paws on the quick, red creature. Its teeth tried to bit him and struggle away, but he kept a firm hold, burying his claws in its pelt. He got his teeth out of the tail and aimed for the throat.

Frog came out of the bush, smiling. He licked his lips but Duststripe pushed him away.

"We take this back to camp," Duststripe meowed.

"But why?" The kit looked confused and sad. He kept his eyes on the squirrel.

"To the elders and queens," Duststripe tried to explain. "Now that we have a camp, we have to go back to the old ways."

"I'm a kit," Frog protested. "I should get it then!"

Duststripe didn't want to hurt Frog's feelings, but he had to learn 'no' some time. "Not for much longer. It's good practice. We'll catch more on the way and then when we get back, you can have something."

Frog glared at Duststripe but didn't say anything, leading the way back to camp.

The others were up when they got back and seemed a bit worried. Cloverleaf held a mouse by its tail in her jaws.

"You're here," Lightberry sighed when Duststripe and his son came into view.

Duststripe nodded, unable to talk. They had caught more prey on the way back and he was grateful to stop carrying it now. Frog looked glad when he could finally tear into the squirrel.

"We were worried when both of you disappeared," Petal explained. "I thought maybe you'd been captured or got lost."

Duststripe smiled. For some reason that just seemed silly. "No, we went hunting. Frog insisted on it."

She smiled back at him. "It is about time he became an apprentice right?"

He nodded.

"Then I will make him one later tonight."

Duststripe felt pride fill him. Finally his son would become an apprentice and be able to learn the code and to care for the Clan. He d be on his way to being a warrior in no time.

After the meal the six started exploring the clearing. The first place they went was the boulder. It was large enough to have the leafcat den and leader den by it so Waterdrop and Petal compromised. While he went to explore the other end with Frog, The leader and warriors looked at one side, sniffing under the ferns. It smelled like dark, loamy places and Duststripe felt comfortable. And then a little head poked itself from the side of the rock.

Jumping away, Duststripe stared with wide eyes, his fur on end.

"Frog!" Lightberry cried staring at the kit. "How did you--"

The kit grinned and pulled himself from the rock. The ferns rustled with his movement. Dirt and spider webs clung to him. "There's this tunnel that goes through!" he exclaimed. "There's these two large chambers, and-and another large tunnel near Waterdrop's side. Come on, you've got to see!"

He turned around and dove back into the tunnel. Duststripe could see through the moving ferns the tunnel now. It was dark inside but it could fit a grown cat.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Petal asked. She smiled at him and Duststripe couldn't think of an answer. She laughed and walked around him, going headfirst into the tunnel.

"What is she thinking?" Cloverleaf asked as the red tail disappeared. "That is so undignified!"

"But it looks like fun!" Lightberry meowed back and hurried after Petal. Duststripe and Cloverleaf were alone. Their side of the forest was quiet and they looked at each other for a short time.

"She-cats first?" Duststripe questioned.

She glared at him, but quickly pushed aside the ferns, going inside. Duststripe smiled and followed her in.

* * *

**Not quite sure when I'll update again, but I'll try to do it more this week. Most of my busy schedule is done but there are a few more things coming up that will keep me away. Remember, all this is fresh and I'm trying to work on active voice and description. I think I did a better job on chapter 9 of Unknown Skies.**


	14. Chapter 13 Explorations

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _Ginnystar, Anidori-Isilee, Chat et Chocolat, Thunderspirit, _and_ Darkness of the Eclipse.

_This chapter might be a bit boring but the other makes up for it. Here's two for you!_

* * *

**Chapter 13**

The tunnel into the rock wasn't very bright. Duststripe could only follow Cloverleaf by his whiskers and her tail as it tapped his face. He almost wanted to sneeze but he held in the feeling. He could see her outline, the hairs around the ends standing out like a fuzzy shape. He thought he might smell her fearscent, but compared to the loamy, soft smell of the dirt that permeated everything, it was faint. Underpaw the dirt felt compacted hard but cool. His ears touched the ice-like ridges of rock above and he wanted to lower them but he had to hear what was up ahead. There could be danger for all he knew and he'd have to hear what happened in the tunnel, listening for the cries of Frog or his leader. And then it opened. His ears felt nothing, his sides unenclosed by rock. The air smelled more wide and he could catch the scents of his companions.

"This is big," he heard Lightberry meow in the darkness.

He moved forward to get his hind end from the tunnel and bumped into Cloverleaf.

"Sorry," he meowed. She might have glared at him but he couldn't tell. There wasn't much room so he stayed by her side.

"Not That big," she muttered. "The five of us can barely fit and I can't see a thing," she complained.

"Dark as a fox's heart," Petal agreed.

"But it's awesome right?" Frog's higher voice asked far ahead of Duststripe.

"Yes," Petal meowed. "So how did you get in here?"

"Follow me," he purred.

Duststripe heard his son shift in the darkness and eventually Cloverleaf left his side. Duststripe followed her. When he glanced back once, he thought he could see cracks of light coming through a narrow hole along the opposite side, and if he strained, he could just make out the round chamber three fox lengths all around. He turned and continued after the tortoiseshell warrior. The rock closed in again but swiftly spread out. There was more light and Duststripe could make out the shape of Frog in a large opening covered in ferns. Green light reflected around the kit and on the others' shadowed faces. Petal sat near him, the two warrior she-cats sat along the edges. This chamber was smaller and Duststripe stood between the narrow passage, half in the other side they'd just left.

"What do you think?" Frog asked, cheerfully eager.

"I think this is a very good den," Petal meowed.

"I think you should get out before you all catch whitecough," Waterdrop's irritated voice called from behind the ferns.

Petal smiled and nodded. "Let's talk out there. Waterdrop doesn't like being left out."

The warriors chuckled as they left the rock. Duststripe passed through the ferns, their feathery shapes brushing against his brown, striped pelt. He blinked in the brightness of the clearing. The sun hovered over the trees as a yellow-orange globe. The leaves changing in the glare. A cold tinge in the air tickled his tongue, bringing with it the spicy scents in the undergrowth of prey and unknown things. He was surprised he hadn't missed these things inside the rock. It felt so relaxing to be a part of the forest again.

"We only need to place moss inside," Petal was meowing. "It will be soft and at least in leafbare we'll be warm."

Duststripe knew there was no questioning who got the rock. Petal, who was leader and elder, and possibly Waterdrop if Petal was willing to share the chambers.

"We'll do that now," Cloverleaf meowed. "Frog." She flicked her tail. It looked like the kit would follow, but Petal stood up.

"Wait."

Everyone froze, turning to look at her.

"We must first make this our camp and a few ceremonies must take place."

Duststripe could see everyone s ears lift. He even felt his chest swell. Something seemed right and normal about Petal doing this, calling for ceremonies. It was her right as leader. She smiled at her Clanmates and summoned them around the rock. She sat in its shadow, the grass rising over her paws a flower growing near her tail. The cats circled near, facing their leader.

"First, this camp needs a name, however temporary," she meowed, looked at them. She straightened and looked skyward as if searching for StarClan, but she wouldn't see any stars at Sunhigh, Duststripe thought.

"I, Petal, leader of SummerheatClan, name this camp at the discretion of my warriors and the will of StarClan. From now forth, it will be known as the Grove Camp."

Duststripe lowered one ear. He'd assumed she'd name it Summerheat Camp the Second. Because if this was Grove Camp, did they become GroveClan? He wasn't sure. He didn't want to be in another Clan, it made him think they'd never return to Summerheat and Tanglewood.

"The second order of business is leader."

Duststripe stared at Petal the flower bobbing in a sudden breeze that sent a few colored leaves fluttering down from the blue sky. What was she talking about?

"What are you saying?" Cloverleaf meowed sharply. "You are our leader."

"Yeah," Lighberry and Waterdrop echoed.

Petal blinked her golden eyes, her red pelt shining in the sunlight, highlighting faint stripes. "I thought you might think my being leader brought us to this. Our lives are very different and I'm getting old. My body is weak and I don't make the best decisions. I think we need a new leader who can choose better for us."

"We wouldn't choose anyone but you," Duststripe meowed. She was the only leader he'd ever known. He'd grown up with her leading Summerheat Camp. He couldn't imagine it any other way. She might be old, but she hadn't led them wrongly yet. All the decisions had kept them alive.

"We wouldn't," Lightberry agreed from beside Duststripe. She nodded her brown head firmly.

Petal waited a short time and then smiled at them, her eyes suddenly shining.

"Thank you," she meowed, her voice raspy.

Duststripe's face took on a small smile as he looked away. It wasn't long before Petal cleared her throat.

"In that case, we move to a third thing. We need a temporary deputy."

Duststripe looked up, wondering if she'd choose him. He was young after all and he thought he'd do a good job. Even if not that, he wished in some way she'd show she relied on him. Perhaps it was a foolish wish, but he wanted it to be his name.

"I ask Cloverleaf to lead with me."

Cloverleaf blinked in surprise and slowly nodded. "I will, but-"

"No buts," Petal meowed. "You are young and experienced and loyal. I hope that if I don't make it through leafbare you will take them back to Summerheat."

Cloverleaf stared. "You won't die."

Duststripe wondered what would happen if their leader went to StarClan. For some reason he couldn't imagine going back without her. What could three warriors and a possible apprentice do against a whole Clan of rogues and former Clanmates? She was the one leading them, the one encouraging them to go back. She was everyone's leader there too. If she died, they would all have to follow Sullen, or the strongest cat to take over, anyway. He shook his head. He didn't like to think about this at all.

"I, Petal leader of Summerheat Clan, in Grove Camp, name Cloverleaf deputy by the agreement of StarClan and my warriors."

They shouted Cloverleaf's name three times, chanting their acceptance. Duststripe wasn't going to protest Cloverleaf's promotion. She was a good, strong she-cat.

"And now the last piece of business." The leader grinned. "Frog come here."

The gray and brown kit approached, his ears flicking nervously and his blue eyes uncertain. He stood before Petal looking up at her as he wondered what she wanted. The leader gazed down at him as she spoke. "It is time for you to learn Clan ways and to work to become a warrior in the service of your Clan. I, Petal, leader of SummerheatClan in Grove Camp, Make Frog an apprentice that he might learn the code and protect his Clan. I call Duststripe as his mentor. I ask you to pass on your solid faith and hunting skills to your son."

It was Duststripe's turn to look surprised as he came closer. She'd made him Frog's mentor? His father? It wasn't exactly forbidden but it was unusual. Even Frog looked startled at the announcement. His blue eyes darted to Lightberry and Cloverleaf, and Duststripe knew his son would rather have one of the she-cat warriors teaching him. His heart felt heavy, but he approached, lowering his head to touch noses with his son. Frog look confused for a moment but slowly reached up to tap his own nose against his father's. It was then Duststripe realized Frog had never seen an apprentice or a warrior ceremony before. He had much to teach frog. Things he'd taken for granted growing up in the Clan. No matter what, he wouldn't fail his son. He'd be as good- no, a better mentor than Lightberry or Cloverleaf would ever be. His eyes flamed as he stared at his son, whose attention had returned to Petal.

"I ask the other senior warriors to help Duststripe in the training of Frog. Not only is Frog Duststripe's first apprentice, but all have something to teach the kit- I mean apprentice."

She looked suddenly embarrassed at her slip and even Frog looked a bit angry. The tom kept his mouth shut as he looked around at the others. They nodded and Duststripe stood back, wondering if they were dismissed. He had so much he wanted to start doing.

"I will speak with my new deputy now. I ask Lightberry hunt for freshkill, Waterdrop to find herbs and Duststripe and his new apprentice to gather moss for bedding."

She waved her tail and Lightberry quickly bounded off into the trees, disappearing in the undergrowth, the forest suddenly gone quiet as they sensed a hunter on the prowl.

Petal turned and meowed to Waterdrop, "I would send a warrior with you, but we are short of them." She tried to make a joke of it.

"I'm fine on my own," Waterdrop meowed crisply in his scratchy voice. "I doubt anything will attack us here." He quickly left the clearing, padding over the soft grass to disappear behind the rock. Petal looked worried, gazing where she'd last seen him.

"Foxes?" Cloverleaf suggested. "I could go after him."

"No," Petal shook her head. "I really need to plan with you."

It looked like saying that hurt, but Petal had to do it.

"Well?" Frog asked, standing sideways, drawing Duststripe's attention away from the leader.

"All right," Duststripe meowed, "let's find moss."

"I don't see why we can't hunt too," Frog muttered, padding after Duststripe.

The brown warrior sighed. A first lesson then. "Apprentices don't always hunt. Mostly it is gathering moss and caring for the elders."

Frog looked shocked and annoyed all at once. They entered the forest, walking around a small bush of gorse, the tight branches close together, the thorns poking dangerously from the center.

Duststripe smiled sadly at his son. "You'll see, this will get better and easier. Now, moss is different every season. Full and plump in newleaf and greenleaf, wilted and hard in leafbare," he meowed. "One thing to keep in mind is to never collect it wet. Shake out the dew, rainwater, and snow. It will cause joint aches otherwise..."

He continued talking, leading the way as he wondered where he would get moss. Things would take a lot longer here than in Tanglewood. At least until they got used to the Grove.

**LINEGOESHERE**

Later that day, the moss collected and placed in the rock, cats fed with the prey Lightberry caught ("It just begged to be killed," she meowed. "It's like no one's ever hunted them before."), they sat relaxing and sharing tongues. Petal insisted she couldn't overwork them. "We'll be here for a while. We don't need to do everything right away."

That was a dangerous thought Duststripe believed. Of course over preparing just to leave again in greenleaf seemed like a waste of time. He wasn't sure which was better. He might like to be kept busy to keep his mind off of going back home.

"We need to explore the territory," Cloverleaf meowed while Lightberry cleaned her friend's back in long strokes. "I think we should each take a section and report on what we find."

Waterdrop looked interested. He put down his paw and spoke. "Tell me about any herbs you find."

Cloverleaf nodded. "Yeah, things like that. Herbs, landmarks, dangers, prey."

"A good idea," Petal meowed. "We can each get a section every day or so."

"First we need to prepare the camp though," Cloverleaf pointed out. "We should do what you told me today."

Petal nodded. "You tell the others than."

Cloverleaf blinked but slowly looked at the rest of the group. "Well, we need to keep the clearing protected. Petal suggested taking gorse bushes and lining the clearing."

"And how do we do that?" Waterdrop asked annoyed. "The gorse only goes so far."

Duststripe looked. It was true. The thick branches circled part of the clearing but was patchy in others. It wasn't in a straight line either. It weaved around going behind trees, clumping petering out, and even in some area's it was bare, making way for other undergrowth.

"We dig out the bushes," Cloverleaf meowed somewhat quietly. Lightberry looked up in surprise.

"I know transplanting will be hard," Cloverleaf meowed. "But it will be worth it. It will be high enough that no one can get over and we will be safe."

It was true. The gorse was about two tail lengths above Duststripe's head. In some areas it was low enough to jump however. Duststripe also couldn't imagine dragging a bush that large just to dig it a hole anyway. It would be hard and it certainly was a crazy idea.

"What about the warrior's den?" Lightberry asked. "I think that should be priority. We fixed up Petal's and Waterdrop's so what about ours?"

"You have that bush near the rock," Petal nodded.

Duststripe glanced over. It wasn't too far away from the rock, but it was just enough so the leader would have privacy. It was also the largest bush in the clearing. A full growth of leaves stood out on it, a few wilting flowers left over from newleaf. He and Frog would have to move in more moss. They'd also use the feathers from a few birds Lightberry had caught.

"I suppose we could work on the hedge tomorrow," Petal meowed, looking disappointed. "Cloverleaf would you hunt while Lightberry helps out Duststripe and Frog? When you're done you can assign territory searches."

Cloverleaf nodded and slowly got up. Duststripe also arose, ready to go out and get the rest of the moss they'd found in the forest along some trees. Lightberry approached, looking a bit nervous. Duststripe paused to see what she wanted.

"Do you mind if I take Frog for a while?" she asked him. Her yellow eyes looked anxious as if he'd refuse.

"I don't," he told her, mindful of what Petal had said about everyone teaching Frog. "I'd just like to know what for."

She smiled at him, her tail waving slowly behind him. "Well, I thought we'd prepare the den. We can dig it out to make more room and bush the branches apart. I hope you don't mind collecting moss on your own."

"No, it's okay," he told her. He really didn't mind. Yes, his neck and mouth still ached from holding the moss continually, but he could manage. Digging the den was important and Frog would be collecting moss later during other moons. "Make sure Frog takes those feathers with him for bedding."

"I will," Lightberry meowed. She turned to Frog who looked a bit confused. "Come on," she purred. "No rest for the apprentice."

Frog smiled at her and followed, a bounce to his step Duststripe had noticed missing before. He sighed and turned away, walking to the forest. Overhead the sun was almost to the horizon. He didn't have much time if they all wanted a soft bed that night. The sky was full blue and dusty. Underpaw the grass gave way to springy fallen leaves and soft undergrowth. Some clouds gathered above, shading the trees. It felt as if rain was on the way. Duststripe picked up his pace. He didn't want to be caught in it if there was. And he didn't want to collect wet moss.

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**The Chapters seem to have gotten a bit shorter. I hope you don't mind. I don't have much time to right at the moment.**


	15. Chapter 14 The Other Cats

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter. To bad she can't use some of my ideas though._

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**Chapter 14**

A moon later the ground was covered thickly in colored leaves. There was still plenty more on the trees above, but there was enough below to frustrate even Frog who enjoyed hiding under the piles. He would bury himself beneath the leaves, springing up on any cats or prey. Duststripe admitted it was cute but he'd never say it out loud to his son. But the leaves posed a different problem. They'd crackle underfoot, scaring away prey. Even the most careful of hunters couldn't tell if something under the leaves would trip them.

Duststripe lowered his body, watching another squirrel. The grove was thick with them because there were plenty of acorn, hazelnut, and pine trees. Birds also enjoyed eating the red and blue berries on the bushes. They weren't without prey and everyone seemed to be recovering, plump and full of fur, getting the protection for the leafbare to come. Duststripe could see the effects of leaf-fall moving on. Not only did the leaves fall, but in the morning, the dew would be frozen, creating great spikes of ice along the curving, wrinkled undergrowth.

The squirrel ran up a tree before Duststripe even moved forward. He growled low and stood up. He didn't like missing prey. What did that show Frog? Of course Frog was off with Cloverleaf now, exploring the far end of the grove. Waterdrop was with them, collecting as many herbs as he could before leafbare and leaf-fall froze them all and made them useless. There wasn't much territory left to explore. The grove wasn't that big, but it wasn't tiny either. No one had to leave it and enter the field to hunt. Of course Duststripe did take Frog out there on occasion. Rabbit and pheasant hunting was important when they returned back to Tanglewood. They didn't catch much out there, Frog was still a novice, and Duststripe tripped on the occasional rock or hidden hole.

Duststripe sighed and moved on, he would have to hunt some more. He was the only one on that duty. Lightberry was digging up gorse bushes at the moment, dragging them to the clearing where at sunhigh everyone would dig holes and plant them. It was annoying doing all that work. Many times Duststripe couldn t even get his paws to the roots. The branches were so thickly interlocked, the thorns and leaves sharp enough to cut. Dragging was a pain and many times after being planted, the bushes would either die or lean on their sides. The hedge didn't look very neat but it was nearly completed. Soon they'd have nothing to fear from outside attack.

Leaves crunched up ahead and Duststripe raised his head, sniffing the still air. Gray clouds overhead swirled in a breeze, once again threatening to rain. It usually fell in the evenings when it did come and he wasn't too worried. Wet leaves didn't crunch as much. The scent brought back to his nose wasn't very familiar. The fur on his neck rose. It smelled of cat, but he couldn't be certain. Was the first fox in the forest to be spotted? He hesitantly took a step, sweeping with his eyes, the undergrowth. He couldn't spot anything. But there were plenty of tree trunks in the way. He heard the crunch again ahead of him. He took another step, making his crunch soft, not putting all of his weight until he felt certain no twig would snap. A sudden wind brushed his fur. Leaves swirled down from above in a whooshing noise. They fell all around him, blocking his sight for a moment. But even above that, he thought he heard the sound of claws on bark.

He knew if it had been one of his Clanmates they would have said something by now. They knew better than to sneak up on each other. Of course maybe they didn't realize he was there. He hoped so. He really didn't want to be imagining things or to be paranoid.

When the leaves stopped fluttering, he walked this time not bothering to be silent. He kept alert, his ears twitching, his eyes searching. His nose worked as the scent grew nearer. Maybe he was walking into danger but he had to know who or what it was. He gazed. The thick trees stood brown and cracked around him, their bark easy to climb. That s when he spotted the claw marks. He looked up and saw light blue eyes staring back at him from a nearby branch.

The eyes never blinked even as Duststripe did in surprise. They remained open, black slits wide in a light gray face.

"H-hello?" Duststripe meowed, nervously.

No reaction. The cat still sat there, the tail twitching where it curled near the other tom's side. They eyes never moved, staying on his face. Duststripe's heart raced. What was this cat doing? He could see the large body rise and fall with every breath.

"You're in Grove Camp territory," Duststripe tried to challenge, but the words felt strange in his mouth and didn't come out strong. "Tell me who you are."

The cat finally blinked but they were slow and the right eye closed first, then the left and that was the way they opened. The tom wasn't impressed.

"It is you who should identify his-self," he hissed out, his face hard and his blue eyes narrow in his wide face. "What dareth you to step paw on my land?"

Duststripe could only stare, his lip twitching. What was this other cat saying? What it another language?

"I- I m sorry?" Duststripe tried.

The other cat's eyes widened and he growled. "You and the trespassers be sorry?" he hissed. "More than sorries will be shared among the leaves this day. Mint, myself, shall return."

The gray tom jumped down from the tree, the leaves scattering around his paws as he stalked off. Duststripe knew he should follow, but he was too nervous, scared that if he rounded one tree, he and the tom with the light blue eyes would come face to face. And more than words would certainly be shared. Claws and teeth more likely.

Duststripe gulped and watched the tom walk away through the gloomy forest, the bright colors of leaf-fall unable to lighten the mood. He quickly turned and hurried back to camp. Petal was in. She usually was, resting or cleaning up the leaves. There was a big pile outside of the camp wall, which she usually stacked with Frog. The apprentice played in them when he had the chance and thought Cloverleaf wasn't looking.

"Petal?" he meowed.

The red she-cat looked up at him. She was lying next to the large boulder. Waterdrop had taken the more open chamber because it would be easier to take care of sick cats that way. Petal still went in with him, sometimes unwilling to go down the tunnel to her den.

"Yes?" She stood up, stretching her body. Duststripe's brown ear twitched. He thought he heard her bones creak.

"I saw a cat," he hesitantly meowed, going over the encounter in his mind. "It was a gray tom with blue eyes. He talked funny and he. . ." Duststripe didn't want to say _'he scared me' _like some kit running to its mother, but that was how he felt. "He warned me about something."

"Was it a rogue?" she asked, alert, her golden eyes wary.

He shook his head. "No. I think this was his territory."

She blinked. "Was the warning something to do with challenging us for the land?"

"I don't know, but I think he wanted to fight. He's going to be back."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "We can never have peace."

Duststripe's tail lowered.

Just then Lightberry came back, crashing through the undergrowth. She leapt over the short part of the gorse hedge, her eyes wide as she stood there panting. Her paws were muddy and her face scratched with the bushes she'd been digging up. "I-I, saw, a, cat."

Petal and Duststripe looked at each other.

"What kind?" he asked her.

"Brown, tabby," she panted, her legs shaking. "Near the gully."

The gully was the only place they'd found with water so far. It wasn't like they really needed it in leaf-fall but knowing where they could satisfy thirst was a good thing.

"What did he say?" Petal asked.

"She," Lightberry gasped. "She said we were trespassing on her territory."

Once again Petal and Duststripe shared a glance. It was like that gray cat all over again.

"What did she do?" Duststripe asked.

"She left, but told me to beware," Lightberry meowed, her breath almost under control. "I had to warn you guys. I think she's going to attack."

"Duststripe had a similar experience," Petal meowed.

Lightberry's ears folded down and righted again as she stared at the brown warrior.

"Except he spoke strange," Duststripe shrugged. "Did she?"

"No," Lightberry shook her head. "She spoke like anyone else."

"If I'm not mistaken," Petal meowed, catching their attention. "Cloverleaf and the rest might have met a cat too."

"You know Cloverleaf," Lightberry meowed, shaking her head. "She won't back down from a challenge."

Duststripe's eyes widened and he gasped. If Cloverleaf started fighting, Frog would too. His son didn't even have battle training!

"We have to go," he meowed sharply. "We can't let Frog get hurt."

Lightberry blinked and then nodded.

"Where are they?" Duststripe turned to Petal.

"The foggy area," the leader replied. "Cloverleaf went near it."

There was one section of the grove covered in fog all the time and so far no one had ventured in, but the explorations got ever closer to penetrating the gloom. Any gray cat could hide effortlessly in it to plan an ambush.

"Let's go," Duststripe meowed.

He turned and ran through the area clear of gorse. Leaves scattered around him as he ran, jumping over bushes and logs, dodging tree trunks. He could hear Lightberry behind him and he might have caught a glimpse of red fur coming after them. It could have been Petal. But he couldn't suppose anything and he'd rather Petal stayed back at camp where she was safe, but he couldn't order his leader from standing down from battle.

They ran on, the sky rumbled over head and the first drops of rain came down, landing cold along his back.

"They picked a great day for a battle," Lightberry huffed next to him.

"Hopefully it ends anything serious," Duststripe growled back.

They neared the fog, its ghostly wisps trailing along the ground, reaching out into the center of the grove. It swirled around their feet as they bounded on; lifting shortly into the air to fall back again to the dead leaves. Duststripe's legs ached from the running but he forced himself on. He could hear a shriek of battle up ahead. It sounded like Cloverleaf in pain.

He tried to push his weary legs onward to go faster, but he was giving his all already. Over one more fallen log, claws scrambling over the twisted side and down again onto a bed of ferns. There Cloverleaf had her jaws in a gray pelt, up against a tree's trunk while the tom clawed at her unprotected side, leaving bloody marks in her tortoiseshell fur.

Duststripe looked for Frog and Waterdrop, but the silver leafcat seemed to be missing. Frog on the other hand was cornered by another gray cat. This one had reddish glints in her fur, making her seem more violet. It was odd and for a moment he could only stare, then he hurried to his son. He tried to knock over the she-cat. She looked at him, her yellow eyes confused. She didn't even have her claws out. But when Duststripe came, she hissed at him, baring her sharp, white fangs, the claws sliding from their sheaths.

"More have come," she hissed. "Someone will bring injuries to his stupid self."

Duststripe was almost thrown off by her odd speech, but he hit at her, his large claws aiming for her head. She ducked, closing her eyes as she backed off.

Frog hissed and tired to dart forward, but Duststripe got in his way. "Stay back," he meowed. "You don't know how to fight yet."

"I do to!" Frog protested. "Cloverleaf taught me."

"Well even Cloverleaf is having trouble," he meowed back, wondering when Cloverleaf had the time to teach Frog anything. It had only been a moon since they got there!

Lightberry was helping CLoverleaf fight the gray tom. Now that Duststripe got a glance at him he could tell this tom wasn't the same one he'd seen earlier. This tom had tabby stripes on his legs and his blue eyes were darker.

The she-cat hissed, moving forward, her claws threatening in a double strike as she reared on her hind legs. "My brother needs not help against trespassers wicked ways. He will striketh down their thin bodies and bury them below our paws."

"You are just insane," he growled back, jumping forward to plant his head into her gut. She fell, surprised by his attack. He could tell right away she didn't know much about fighting. She might know how to fight, but it wasn't any technique. She was not a Clan cat.

She fell but quickly got up again, biting his ears this time as her back legs kicked. Duststripe was knocked off of his feet and struggled to get up, his front paws held down by her own as she forced him to tussle with him on the ground. He was stuck, his eyes suddenly blinded by blood welling on his brow. His back legs tried to get up to her, but she was fast, pushing them away with her own as she pounded him.

Suddenly she screeched, freezing. Duststripe pulled away from her and looked up to see Frog on the back of her neck, teeth digging to her loose fur where a queen would hold her kit. She hissed, trying to twist away.

"Kits I will not fight," she growled, staring as much as she could at Frog and then at Duststripe. Her yellow eyes challenged him, daring him to end the battle in the only way she must know.

"Warriors do not kill," he growled back at her, shaking his head. Blood scattered on the fallen leaves as the sheets of rain came pouring down. It soaked him quickly. He was cold, his brown pelt darker, hers disappearing into an odd brown-gray.

"Promise that you will never come back to our grove," he meowed at her. "I will let you go without more injury."

"I fear not of blood and bones," she hissed up at him. "The wounds of battles means nothing like a puddle to fire."

"Leave us," he growled, wondering how long Frog could last at her back. She might twist at any moment. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Couldn't see what the other warriors were doing with their enemy, the lavender she-cat's brother. The rain came down coating everything in gray and black, muting the reds and yellows of the leaves, brown becoming mud. "We only want peace. We are too tired to fight. WE aren't staying long. Come greenleaf we will be gone."

Perhaps his weary voice got to her. The fire in her eyes went out and she stared at him, a crease in her brow. Her claws slowly went in and she nodded.

"Left alone you will be, until the leaves turn green once more," she meowed, looking at him with a softer gaze. "My brothers will not liketh this news for they rush to the fray eagerly. Anger swells with all who enter our borders."

"I understand," Duststripe nodded, motioning to Frog to let go of the she-cat. The apprentice did, backing away, spitting out the hairs from his mouth as he shivered in the cold. "Where we came from we disliked trespassers too." He wouldn't say that the rouges had stolen the land from them as that wouldn't help convince her.

She slowly got up, her left flank covered in mud, leaves sticking to her. She shook off the water, but it still came down at her. She gazed upward. "The sky cleanses," she purred.

Duststripe lowered one ear. Whatever she meant, he was okay with it. It sounded good.

"My calling is Lavender," she told him. "My brothers' Mint and Tide. Tide holds our hearts and claws. Only single cat allowed staying our land, Tide's mate. Her calling is Duzie. I hope our paths cross not again."

She nodded to him and walked away.

Duststripe sighed, watching her and then looked over for Lightberry and Cloverleaf. He could see them crouched under a bush, watching him with their wide eyes. He still stood in the rain alone with Frog. The other cat was no where around. They must have chased him off a while ago.

"Where is Waterdrop?" Duststripe called walking over. He was already wet and it wasn't like the storm was fierce. He d been wet from swimming before. He just didn't like the cold. Frog padded beside him, panting and shaking his ears, scattering the rain.

"He ran to get you guys," Cloverleaf meowed. Blood seeped from her coat, unwashed from the rain. "I guess you came anyway. Where is petal?"

Duststripe shrugged. "She might have been following. Maybe she found Waterdrop."

He hoped it was so. He didn't want to have to look for two cats now.

"Let's go back to camp," Cloverleaf meowed, standing up. She winced, limping as she left the bush. "Perhaps we'll find them there. I hope Waterdrop has cobwebs."

"Good fighting," Lightberry purred, leaning against Duststripe's side as she licked his forehead. He winced, hurting as she cleaned the wounds Lavender had inflicted.

"Yes," he meowed. "I couldn't have made it without Frog's help. He really made her stop."

Frog smiled, looking up at his father as Duststripe proudly smiled at his son. Even if Frog didn't know much, he was really brave. Duststripe couldn't fault that at all.

**_LineGoesHere_**

"She promised that they wouldn't attack us again," Duststripe meowed later. Petal sat with them in the warriors' den, sheltering from the cold rain. They were all patched up with different smelling herbs and cobwebs, damp but clean now. Duststripe had just told them what Lavender had said. Her siblings names and the other one in their 'Clan'. Of course he didn't understand everything she'd said to him, but he knew enough to repeat or paraphrase.

"So I think we did trespass on these cats' land," Petal sighed, her tail twitching. She hadn't made it in time to the battle, but like they'd hoped the two elders had met up, going back to camp.

Frog sat in the warriors' den with them. He slept with them as Duststripe knew it would be unfair to make Frog be alone at night. It wasn't like they had apprentices to keep him company and they'd been together since the journey s start.

"I don't believe her," Cloverleaf growled. "Just because she says it, doesn't mean her brothers won't do anything. You should have seen him when they attacked us. He was angry and dangerous. I don't think she can do anything to stop them."

Duststripe felt worried. Was Cloverleaf right? Would these cats attack again?

"Does anyone know where they come from?" Lightberry asked, blinking at them all. "I haven't scented them around here before. I think they followed us to the grove."

Now Duststripe turned to her. She was right. He'd never scented them before. Not even old smell. It was like they'd just appeared to disappear again.

"That is one mystery we must find out," Petal meowed, her eyes narrow. "But we can't borrow trouble. I will stay confident that Lavender can convince the others. As long as they know we are leaving, it would be wrong of them to attack again. I'm sure she knows that. I'm sure Mint and Tide will know that too."

"But we have to keep watch," Cloverleaf meowed. "If any of you spot them again, make sure you know where they are going or where they came from. We can't be surprised like this again."

They all shook their heads. And outside the rain came down, watering everything, but not touching the cats where they sat protected behind their bush.

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**Well, I hope that Chapter kept you interested. I will be off for a few days but in about a week or so after a trip, I'll be back. I have the rest of this story planned out and now I really want to finish it. I hope its worth it for you.**


	16. Chapter 15: Finding StarClan

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _GinnyStar, Anidori-Isilee, Chat et Chocolate_ and _Darkness of the Eclipse.

_Well I'm back. I graduated, went on a senior trip and later this fall is college. We finally had some wireless internet installed where I'm staying for the summer so now I get to upload to everyone. I hope you enjoy reading what happens to the cats._

_Summery: 6 cats were chased from summerheat camp and fled the rogue take over. They traveled far away to a new forest where they set up a camp before they could return again. It is currently leafbare to winter and just last chapter the six faced a battle in which oddly speaking cats tried to chase them from the territory. Duststripe and the rest held their ground and continued making the new forest their home. Some time has passed since the last battle and new adventures are on their way._

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**Chapter 15**

Duststripe eyed the fog. It curled slowly around the low ferns, climbing up the tree trunks, clunging to the rough bark like spider webs. Long reaching, tail-like wisps moved outward, seeming to reach for him. He didn't want to step paw in the blanket of fog he couldn't even see through. The problem was he had to. This was the last spot of the new territory left to be explored. Someone had to look at it and Petal chose him. He shifted on his feet, glancing around the lonely forest.

Crows wheeled overhead, flapping and cawing in the late afternoon air. Their breath streamed white from open beaks as they dived among the almost bare branches. Duststripe eyed the black birds warily knowing they'd scared off most prey. He couldn't wait until they moved on to a different forest. He and the others needed all they could catch and unless the cats learned how to hunt in trees, catching those birds, the crows were more than bothersome.

He looked down from the bright sky and back at the mist in front of him. He gulped, shivering. He couldn't see any movement in the whiteness, nothing beyond a few tail-lengths. He took a step forward, and then slowly one more. The fog scattered away from his paws, revealing pine needles and a thick covering of fallen leaves as he started walking. The dried leaves crackled under his paws. He kept his eyes wide as the fog closed around his head, filling his ears. He couldn't see much, and when he turned around, he realized he couldn't see the rest of the forest he'd left behind. He looked up but only a faint blue reached down at him. Dark, hazy shapes the tree limps, the moving shadows the crows. Their calls were nothing but echoes now. His heart pounded as he remembered the tall stalks he and the others had run through to get to the forest, chased by the roaring monster. His fur stood out and he knew he looked larger than he really was. His paws wouldn't stop shaking.

After standing in the eerie fog for a short time, he reached for his courage. It was hidden down deep beneath images of foxes or rogue cats pouncing at him from the white. He just wanted to run back to camp and hide in the safety of the warriors' den. But if he returned like a scared kit, Frog probably would never respect him ever again. Duststripe closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the fog tickling the hairs in his nose, his whiskers wrapped in it like water clinging to him. He shook his head to chase away the images and quickly started walking.

He didn't get far when a great shadow loamed in front of him. His whiskers warned him in time and he stopped, face against the trunk of a leaning elm tree. He couldn't quite see every little crack, but he could make out most of them. He quickly sidestepped away from the tree and continued, heart still pounding as eyes wider than ever gazed around him. As the fog thickened, he realized he couldn't really see the trees except was he was next to them. They loomed out like tall shadows, towering above him, their roots tripping him. They weren't the worst things. He narrowly missed running into boulders a few times and falling down ditches. He continued walking, his mind only on avoiding objects now.

The mist clung to his fur like dew, sliding down to his belly just to splash onto his legs. It felt like getting caught in the rain. Cold slipped into his wet fur, making him shiver from more than fear now. His eyes darted around. He didn't know how long he'd been in the mist or how long he'd been walking. It suddenly seemed like forever. The light looked to be failing, the mist deepening from white into gray. Duststripe grew worried, glancing at the hazy shadows above him. How would he make it out in the dark? His pace picked up now, the leaves crunching as he ran onward, the only thing on his mind to leave the thick fog.

He swiftly raced across the ground and barely missed hitting the trees and rocks, frequently stumbling as his paws caught on things hidden on the ground. His mind had nothing on it but escape from the mists. Then suddenly bright flames burned to the side of him. He flinched away, startled. Then his heart soared. There had to be a way out. The flames were nothing but the setting sun finding a way to him. He looked at the sparks of light, hurrying forward in their direction.

His paw splashed into icy water. Duststripe stopped running and caught himself on the smooth stones. They rattled together, slipping from under his back legs. His front paws were already over-his-claws-deep in the liquid and he continued to slide forward. Duststripe regained his balance and took a long breath as he pulled his paws out of the water. Taking deep breaths, Duststripe stood there, his head hanging low as he recovered. He kept his eyes on the stones in front of him, ignoring the fog around him. Soon he started licking his paws, getting off the moisture. As he cleaned and calmed himself, Duststripe got a closer look at the water. In the mist, he could see he'd almost landed face-first into a small pond. Ice flakes rimmed the very edge of this clear pond, clinging to smooth stones and some floating leaves. At the very center, the bottom of the pond disappeared into deep blue. For a while, as he recovered, Duststripe was caught up looking at the pool and his reflection rippling ghostly at him. Then the lights came back.

Like flickering flame, the orange light flared beside him, reflecting briefly on the surface of the water. Duststripe flinched away, tripping on the stones again. When he caught his footing, the lights were gone and in their place, a group of cats ringed the pond, their waving reflections joining Duststripe's. Silver light shone in specks along their perfect fur. The smell of greenleaf hung in the air, blowing away some of the mist. For a few heartbeats, it felt as if the sun warmed his brown fur. Something like repeated pawsteps sounded and a strange bird call answered, wailing.

Ears down, Duststripe stared, wondering where these cats had come from. He gulped as they continued to stare back at him. Duststripe took the time to look over their shining forms. There was a black she-cat with green eyes leaning against a tortoiseshell tom with orange eyes. Another black cat, a tom, sat with his tail wrapped around a large, dark long haired she-cat with thick stripes. More and more cats faded into the mist and Duststripe couldn't see the end of them. He felt he had to break the heavy silence that surrounded them.

"Wh-who are you?" he asked, his voice catching in his throat.

They weren't being threatening, but something inside of him was so scared. Who wouldn't be with cats appearing from nowhere? They opened their mouths and Duststripe leaned forward.

"We are StarClan," they said, their voices blending in harmony.

Startled, Duststripe could only watch as their bodies disappeared, fading out. Their multicolored eyes were the last Duststripe saw of them. The greenleaf smell left shortly after and with it, the sound of birdcalls and pawsteps. Duststripe didn't stay for long. He whirled, his tail streaming out behind him as he fled from the pond. The mist rolled in again, flying around his paws.

**_-L- Hmm, I think I found a new style..._**

Duststripe didn't know how he got out of the fog without ramming himself into a tree, but he made it back to camp before dark. Cloverleaf was just dropping off her meager catch to the freshkill pile, Lightberry was shoring up the warriors den with twigs and ivy vines which Frog passed to her, Petal was probably in her den, and Duststripe could hear Waterdrop working in his den, talking to himself as he sorted through the herbs he'd collected.

As Duststripe ran into camp, leaping over the gorse hedge, Cloverleaf looked up. Her eyes widened as she saw him.

"What happened?" she demanded, coming closer.

Duststripe noticed how much his fur stood on end, his size almost doubling.

"Did the rogues catch up with us?" Lightberry demanded, leaving the den as she and Frog approached. "Was it those odd cats?"

Cloverleaf's attention went to the entrance and her claws came out. A low growl in her throat.

Leaves rustled and the ferns moved as Waterdrop appeared at the entrance of his den, stepping over the leafy pathway. Petal's red shape padded close behind him. She pushed in front of the leafcat, getting face to face with Duststripe.

"Where are they?" the leader growled. "Where did you see them?"

"The- the pond," Duststripe got out.

"The pond?" Lightberry's head tilted and her nose wrinkled.

"The place I was exploring," Duststripe meowed, trying to calm down and tell them the rogues weren't there and that Lavender had kept her promise. "I saw them. StarClan."

Everyone blinked at him. Another leaf fell from the branches above, floating downward. A bird whistled once before quieting down. The five remained still, not even a tail twitched or ear flicked. Duststripe's eyes darted to each of their disbelieving faces.

"StarClan?" Waterdrop got out, his voice cautious.

Duststripe nodded. "I got lost in the fog and then I stepped into a pond and they appeared. There were rows of shining cats," he tried to explain.

Waterdrop's blue eyes widened and his tail twitched. Duststripe hoped the leafcat realized he was speaking the truth.

"So are we under attack or not?" Cloverleaf meowed, frowning.

"Not unless dead cats are attacking," Frog snorted. The apprentice turned away from the circle and got back to the warriors' den.

"Frog, show some respect for your ancestors," Lightberry scolded, her fur starting to lay flat as she followed him. The two padded away without any other comment. Obviously since there was no danger it was time to get back to work.

Cloverleaf didn't look satisfied with Duststripe's answer and she went out of camp to investigate. Duststripe saw her speckled tail disappear into the shuddering thorns. His breath came more smoothly now, his heart beating less rapidly, but even as he tried to relax, the memory repeated over in his head. The cats stood there, their eyes watching. The warmth of greenleaf. The breathing of the cats chasing away the fog.

"What did they say to you?" Waterdrop asked, shuffling closer. His blue eyes suddenly earnest. He got so close their two pelts brushed. Duststripe leaned away.

"They just said they were StarClan and disappeared," Duststripe meowed. He could see their shining bodies fade out as if starlight giving way to morning. It made no sense to him. Why tell him that and leave?

"We have to go back," the gray tom meowed, swiftly turning to Petal. "We have to go back there!"

"Calm down, Waterdrop," Petal meowed, brushing her tail down his flank. Her golden eyes looked concerned.

"You don't understand," Waterdrop meowed, shaking off her touch as he pulled away, the grass bending under his shifting paws. "We have to go!"

Petal looked shocked at his actions and even Duststripe was surprised. The leafcat wasn't ever this impatient with his leader.

"Why?" Petal asked. Her eyes wary.

The sun sank lower in the orange sky, shining through the trees, creating orange and shadows. The twisted, vine covered trunks stood out thickly, their roots covered in leaves, the sounds of burrowing animals all around them.

Waterdrop only looked away, swallowing nervously. For a few moments Duststripe could hear Frog pulling the vines, weaving them into the warriors' den.

Finally he sighed and met Petal's eyes. "It's been such a long time leafcats have seen StarClan. I've never met one before. And I know I should have. It's the only way our Clan is supposed to survive. If we don't have StarClan we have nothing. And leafcats haven't spoken to StarClan for generations. We've had omens and warnings, but we haven't seen them! We need to go now and see what they want!"

Petal blinked at him and Duststripe couldn't help feeling surprised. He hadn't realized leafcats spoke to StarClan at all. They'd just been some mysterious thing, a place where cats went when they died. Ghost cats that kits and apprentices feared. Now it seemed they were something more. And he'd met them. Duststripe gulped and abruptly sat down as the world spun. No one else seemed to notice.

We'll go back tomorrow," Petal was meowing to Waterdrop when the trees returned to normal. "It's too late now. And if they really want us there, they'll wait."

Waterdrop still seemed disturbed. His tail twitched and his eyes kept glancing to the forest.

"Waterdrop," Petal meowed slowly. "Promise me."

Waterdrop blinked his eyes and finally nodded. "Until tomorrow."

"Good," Petal purred. "Now get something to eat. You too, Duststripe. Just stay calm. Tomorrow we will make sure that StarClan was really there."

Duststripe glowered as Petal walked away. He wasn't lying. He'd really seen them. The leader walked off back to her den, picking up a squirrel on her way. Waterdrop hunched over in the leaves, his head bowed to his chest, the gray fur blowing in a faint breeze, oblivious to everything around him. Duststripe glanced at the leafcat in worry but decided asking wasn't worth getting yelled at. He growled quietly and then stood up. He picked up a bird from the pile and went to the warriors den to help his son and Lightberry. He was starting to feel anxious about tomorrow. What if it really had been nothing at all?

_**-L-**_

Morning didn't come quickly enough. Duststripe spent the night, huddled against Lightberry and Frog's sides the cold still coming through the thick branches. He stayed awake, on occasion slipping off into dreams of water surrounding him and ghost cats chasing him and his sister through the swamp, only this time he sank instead of her. So when Petal finally woke the cats up with a summoning yowl, he felt tired. His lids drooped, his tail and ears stayed low, and he stumbled a bit getting out of the warriors' den.

They three warriors and one apprentice approached the boulder. Its jagged sides loomed high above them, Petal sad nearby it, unable to even climb to the top. The grass bunched up near her flanks, a flower stem near her tail. Her red fur glinted in the early morning light, the sun not yet making its way to overhead where the cats would be able to see it.

Waterdrop, the silver-gray leafcat sat near the leader's side, his eyes going from unfocused to anxiously scanning the clearing. His paws kneaded the ground, tearing at the grass and ferns near him.  
The others took their usual place, circling the leader and leafcat, Cloverleaf near Petal's right side. The tortoiseshell deputy leaned on every word coming from Petal's mouth.

"Today we will investigate the pond Duststripe explored," the red she-cat meowed hesitantly. "It may be strange and dangerous but I want all of us to go."

"We'll leave the camp undefended?" Cloverleaf questioned. She frowned, her ears level with her head.

"Would you stay when you could see StarClan?" Lightberry asked before Petal could answer.

Cloverleaf quickly shook her head, her eyes suddenly bright. Her tortoiseshell tail twitched as she looked back at Petal.

"I'd stay," Frog muttered under his breath as Petal continued.

Duststripe glanced over. Obviously his son needed more lessons on StarClan, and this would make the perfect opportunity. The brown tabby warrior sighed. If they were still there.

"We will all go," Petal was meowing. "We'll see whether StarClan does want us or if some other cat was playing a joke on us. Hopefully we find nothing out of the ordinary. But we must all be prepared to expect the unexpected. Duststripe, lead the way."

Duststripe blinked, pulling away. He hadn't realized she'd have him do it. He gulped and stood up, licking his lips. He hoped this didn't prove disastrous or boring. Not only would Frog laugh him off, but even the other warriors would probably start wondering if he was crazy or just wanted attention.

He started walking out of the camp and led them to the foggy area. The crows were still there, cawing their obnoxious calls and leaving rank smells on the ground beneath them. The fog curled in front of the small Clan, reaching for them, covering Duststripe's legs. He shivered in the cold touch, glancing back at Petal, hoping she'd call off the search.

"Everyone, stick together," she meowed. "If you get lost, stop and call out. Try to keep the cat in front of you in view, or at least their tail. Duststripe, please continue."

Duststripe nodded quickly and turned to face the mist and shadows. He hoped he could even find the pond again. She was putting so much trust in him. He started forward, the smells of Waterdrop and Lightberry coming after him. Soon the fog covered his head, clinging to him once more. It was familiar, but not less frightening. He could tell the others felt the same way. He could hear their loud breaths, feel the nervous twitches of Waterdrop's whiskers on his tail, and could hear their hesitant pawsteps on the forest carpet of leaves. He swallowed and walked on, steering them around a large bush.

A short time later, he could hear Cloverleaf's voice coming up to him. "It's a wonder you could find anything in this," she called up. "It's like walking through clouds."

"Have you done that?" Frog's teasing voice echoed.

"Yeah," the tortoiseshell purred, "now."

Petal laughed and for a moment Duststripe felt better. A small grin stayed on his face. And then he heard the clinking of rocks. He felt his paw shift and looked down to see a round stone beneath his pad. The coolness leaked through his bare skin, making his claws ache. He paused, just standing there as he tried to focus. The gray and white fog was everywhere and he wasn't sure if the pond was ahead or to the side. He didn't want to lead anyone into it.

He turned his head, but Waterdrop pushed against his back end and he slowly stepped forward. He stumbled on the stones, his paws twisting under him. He kept walking and heard as the others walked onto the stones. Lightberry gave a cry of surprise and even Frog mewed out.

Duststripe's ears flicked but he knew even if he turned around, he probably wouldn't see them, so he faced forward, stepping carefully as he searched for the water. And then he saw it. In a small area the fog refused to settle. It moved outward, away from a blue shining surface. Duststripe hurried toward it. He managed not to slip into the water this time, but his pelt was still damp from the mist. The others came around him, lining the small pond, staring into its clear depths. Now Duststripe could see their faces. Wary, but interested, they peered around them, searching for what Duststripe had seen the other day.

Waterdrop looked the most impatient. His blue eyes narrowed his tail thrashing as he looked around, his head never stilled.

"How did they appear last time?" Petal asked slowly.

"Flashes of light," Duststripe quickly meowed back. "After I fell into the water, they were just there."

"Do we have to fall in?" Frog raised one ear and lowered the other. He darted a paw out, splashing the water, making ripples roll outward to the middle of the pond. He quickly licked his paw off, gazing at the movement.

"I don't think so," Petal meowed. "But I do wonder how long we have to wait. Do you know Waterdrop?"

The leafcat shook his old head, the fog swirling away from him. "I'm not sure of anything." He sighed.

Duststripe glumly hunched over the water. It didn't seem like StarClan was ever coming. It had just been some rare occurrence, or his frightened mind had come up with the whole thing.

_Where are you?_ he asked, peering down into the depths of the blue. He thought he saw something flickering under the water. He reached down, the stones shifting under his weight. He disturbed the water and the light disappeared. When the pond cleared again, he could see himself in the water, the others around him. They stared at him and slowly Lightberry touched the water too, lapping it up with her tongue. When she was done she looked at him and then glanced at the others. Petal nodded and lapped the water too. Cloverleaf and Waterdrop just dipped their paws in.

By the time everyone had touched the water, the pond rippled swiftly as if a river. And then the lights flared around them all, bringing with it the heat and scents of greenleaf and the sounds of birds and pawsteps. Duststripe flinched away from the light and when he opened his eyes he saw the silver speckled cats around him. There was the green-eyed, black she-cat; the tortoiseshell tom; the yellow-eyed tom and his long haired mate; and then there was a white cat Duststripe hadn't noticed before. He walked forward, over the water, his paws making not a ripple as he approached.

"Glide," Petal breathed, staring at the green eyed tom.

"Petal," he smiled back at her.

She turned her head, her eyes darting from one cat to another as if she recognized them. Duststripe glanced over at Waterdrop and saw triumph shining in the blue eyes. He looked impatient to talk but none of the StarClan cats gave him their attention. Frog had his mouth open, staring in shock at the glowing cats. Lightberry pressed against the apprentice, her tail wrapped around him as she also stared. Even Cloverleaf looked at a loss for words.

"You came," meowed Glide, the leader of SummerheatClan before Petal. "We hoped you would."

"Why didn't you come to me?" she asked, looking worried.

"We couldn't," the white tom looked down. "There are only a few places we can come through to visit our descendants. You left behind the one in Tanglewood, and we had only this one."

"I heard that the Clans at the lake didn't have to go to their StarClan all the time," Waterdrop meowed.

"And they've had their problems because of excessive visits," Glide acknowledged with a dip of his head. "Problems we want to avoid."

"We would have come to you if we could," the tortoiseshell spoke up. "We just never had the chance. We can only come to you if you come to us. Since most of the original founders of Summerheat never believed or even saw StarClan, when we died we had no way to contact you. You had no Moonpool or Moonstone. We could only give omens to the leafcats willing to see them."

He glanced with his orange eyes to a light brown tabby she-cat. She blinked at him but said nothing.

"It was through Leafpool the faith even continued. That and the former lake clans cats," the tortoiseshell continued.

Duststripe eyed the tom wondering who he was and why Glide had let him speak. It seemed odd. But none of the other cats seemed to mind. They gave their attention to both toms.

"This is Raven," Glide meowed, as if reading Duststripe's thoughts. The name meant something. Lightberry gasped.

"The first leader!" she squeaked out.

Now Duststripe remembered. And that meant. . . He gazed at the other cats, names coming to them as he met their eyes. Hollyleaf, Thorn, Darkfire, Redstrike, Needlefur, Woodclaw, Hickoryheart, Riddle, Spice. . . The other founders were there as well. They really were StarClan.

"Yes," Raven mrrrwed in amusement. "I never thought I'd ever be this respected when the cats all came together and made me their leader. I didn't think we'd ever have a StarClan like the lake clans. But here it is, generations later."

The others meowed their agreement, their voices spilling out like rippling water. They looked pleased.

"But now we have to help you," Raven continued when the cats settled down. "StarClan and SummerheatClan need each other to survive. We could have warned you about Sullen or even about the floods or sicknesses. We can see the future and we could have told you, but because we could never speak, we could only watch as the once mighty Clan faded down. Now we have to repair it. There were things I should have done while I was still a living leader," he meowed, his orange eyes lowered. The black she-cat by his side quickly licked him, her green eyes worried. "There were decisions I should have made, but I let the others guide me. Not that it isn't a bad thing," he looked at Petal. "But a leader has to take more control now and again."

When Raven looked to Glide, the white tom continued. "We will give you gifts, Petal. You will be the first real leader our Clan has ever known. With you our Clan will finally reach the safety it should have." He turned his head to Waterdrop. "Remember this well leafcat, the ceremonies will be important to be passed down. It will be the duties of both leader and leafcat to remember."

"I will remember," Waterdrop promised. He looked pleased the starry leader had spoken to him but Duststripe could tell there was much more Waterdrop would like to discuss. Duststripe had questions to if he just had the confidence to speak up. But all he could do now was watch. If felt as if something was holding him back, that time was short and there wasn't time for anything but what StarClan wanted to do.

Glide turned back to Petal. "Do you accept the responsibility of leading SummerheatClan through the hardships and good times? Do you promise to keep them safe and protected? Do you promise to listen to your warriors but also choose better for them? And do you promise to prevent needless death and lives lost?"

Petal looked lost in the rush of words but she quickly nodded her head. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, we give you your nine lives." His green eyes burned and he stepped forward.

"I, Glide, once Glidingcloud, give you the life of fair judgments."

The long furred, white tom stepped forward over the water and touched Petal's nose. She looked startled and then her eyes lost focus. Duststripe could only watch as she started to shake, her eyes starting to run with water.

Eventually Glide stepped back and another cat took his place. The dark she-cat with white flecks in her fur stepped forward, eyes only one Petal.

"I, Dark, once Darkfur, give you the life of courage, that you might continue in hard times," she meowed, her voice deep and husky. She reached forward, pressing her black nose against Petals.

Duststripe watched wordlessly as once again Petal shook as if a power entered her. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but if seven more cats had to step forward, he wasn't sure Petal would be able to stand. He looked on worriedly.

Dark stepped away, fading back into the circle of glittering cats. A young brown tom stepped forward now over the water. His gray paws blended into the water as if he was a part of it, a cat growing from the water. His youthful body looked so strange in the midst of all the warriors and elders. If Duststripe looked around, he thought he spotted a few kits in the mix, their short bodies easy to lose in the crowd of cats and fog. He shuddered, feeling sorry for them. They hadn't been able to live out their lives. They'd missed the joys of warriorship and the companionship of others.

"I, Haze, once Morninghaze, give you the life of youth," he purred in his young voice. "That you might live on to guide your Clan for a short time longer while they need you."

He pressed his brown nose against Petal's and Duststripe watched in awe as she started shaking. But as she shook, her pale red fur grew longer and deeper red, the gray around her muzzle fading and the shaking grew less as if she were stronger. When she opened her eyes, Duststripe was startled to see that she seemed a much younger cat than she'd been before.

Haze stepped away, his tail twitching as he passed a brown tabby she-cat.

The she-cat stepped before Petal, gazing with orange eyes at the leader.

"Be strong," the tabby meowed. "I Fern, once Fernstem, give you the life of love, that you might love your Clan and others who are outside of it." She pressed her nose against Petal and Duststripe wasn't expecting the reaction Petal gave.

Her body shook harshly, her ears folding back as a low growl left her jaws. She looked in pain and Duststripe wanted to dart forward, but he felt the eyes of the glowing cats on him. He couldn't move or save his leader. Eventually Fern left Petal, walking away over the water without another glance.

"Stop this," Frog yowled, standing up, his fur standing on end, his eyes wide. "You're hurting her!"

The StarClan cats gazed at him silently and the apprentice looked at them, his eyes twitching. Finally he sat down, staring at Petal as if begging her to call it off. She just shook her head at the tom and Frog looked away. Duststripe wanted to comfort his son, but he couldn't even move over to him, afraid to capture the attention of the ancestors.

A fifth cat now approached. This gray cat with gray eyes bounced forward on black striped legs as if eager to finally give a life. His eyes blinked happily as he looked down at Petal. She smiled hesitantly back at him as if uncertain.

"I Soot, once Sootstripe, give you the life of curiosity," he reached down and touched Petal's nose. This time, Petal didn't look so much in pain, but she was shaking again as if her old age had come back, but she still looked youthful and Duststripe wasn't sure.

Soot left her then, still waving his tail happily as he gave way for another cat on the water. This sixth cat flicked her one ear and warily approached. The dark faced white she-cat with ginger and brown splotches sighed as she looked at Petal.

"I Speckle, once Speckledbelly, give you the life of learning and listening." The two she-cat's touched noses and Petal closed her eyes, her whole body tense as she had to live through accepting one more life. Duststripe looked at her and wondered what it was like. What was she going through? Could he have handled it better?

Speckle left, walking across the water as one more cat came forward soundlessly. This she cat was completely gray with a silver tail. Duststripe wasn't surprised as she announced her name to him.

"I, Silvertail, give you the life of remembrance," she meowed. She pressed her nose to Petal and Petal stiffened as if she'd turned to stone. By the time she looked up she couldn t' seem to even stand. Her legs swayed around her, but she kept her eyes on the next cat.

The eighth cat turned out to be a short tom. His dark brown fur was spotted with white and black tortoiseshell spotting. He walked over with silent confidence.

"I, Beaverpaw, once of ThunderClan, give you the life of perseverance that you will never give up." he touched her nose and once again Petal was overcome with shakes and she growled with pain, her tail straight out behind her. When the tom finally left her she looked exhausted. Duststripe wondered how many more she had to go through.

The next cat to approach was Raven. The tortoiseshell tom came closer over the water, leaving behind his family. "You have gone through much, Petal," he meowed at her. "And I can promise you I am the last life you will get."

Duststripe's leader looked relieved but disappointed all at the same time. Duststripe could only feel relief. He was glad no other cat would bring pain to Petal.

"If you haven't noticed," the tom continued. "All who gave you lives were the former leaders of our Clan. We hope that you will guide the cats to come as they were meant to. That you could be the leader we could never achieve. I, Raven, give you the life of leadership."

He leaned forward and Petal touched his nose. She shook all over and for a long time the two stood there together. All around them a chant started in the fog. It was low and Duststripe's ears twitched with the sound until he could understand what they were meowing.

"Petalstar, Petalstar, Petalstar. . ."

He felt his own mouth forming the words, raising his voice, calling his leader's new name out.

Finally Raven released the she-cat and she fell to the ground, the stone clattering around her. Duststripe gasped and rushed forward. The others huddled around the red she-cat as the StarClan cats faded off.

Duststripe was the last to see them leave. In his head he thought he heard them whisper, we will speak again.

He shivered staring down at his leader. Waterdrop licked her face, trying to revive her, even as he sniffed around her body, sniffing and prodding as if to find wounds, but Duststripe had a feeling not even he could solve this problem. Petalstar was on her own.

Waterdrop finally stopped his examination and lay down beside her, and anxious look in his eye as he looked around. He seemed to be trying to find the StarClan cats, but there was no trace of them.

"What do we do?" Cloverleaf asked, looking at her leader, her ears almost flat against her head.

"Keep her warm," the old tom meowed. "When she wakes up, I hope nothing is wrong with her."

"StarClan wouldn't hurt her would they?" Frog asked, his lips over his teeth, baring them.

Waterdrop looked at the apprentice and turned away. Finally Duststripe realized he would answer his kit.

"What did you just see?" he meowed quietly as he lay on one side of Petalstar, pressing against her pelt. The other warriors joined him and Waterdrop, keeping watch on Petal and the surrounding area. Duststripe noticed that the fog was clearing. Giving way to white and revealing the tree trunks of the forest all around them.

Frog glared at the water and hissed. "They're evil. I hate them."

"Don't hate them," a wavering voice meowed.

Duststripe jumped up and stared down. She had moved, her body rising and falling with every breath. Her tired golden eyes were open, gazing at Frog now. The apprentice stared down at her, his body quivering with happiness but distress all at once.

"They just gave us something that will help us."

"But they hurt you!" Frog protested, his voice higher pitched now. "You could have died!"

The leader gazed at him a sad smile around her face. "Gifts would be nothing without a little sacrifice. It holds more meaning. I can never forget this day. I will remember the cats that gave me life and feel what each one means and holds. I will be a better leader for it."

Frog looked down. Duststripe knew his son didn't quite believe her, but Duststripe felt he understood. He didn't like what they'd done to her without any warning, but she would certainly remember it. He would too.

"I hope we never see them again," Frog growled now, keeping his eyes on anything but his leader.

"No," Waterdrop meowed, his scratchy voice soft for once. "We will. They have more to share with us. More ceremonies."

"Besides," Lightberry meowed. "They promised."

"And I hope they can tell us something that will help us trounce that Sullen and his band of rogues," Cloverleaf hissed out.

Frog nodded at her words and Duststripe wondered how Cloverleaf could get to his son, when no one else could.

"We're going to need a bit more help than that," Petalstar got out before her eyes closed.

"What do you mean?" Lightberry meowed.

"We need more cats," the red leader meowed. "The six of us can never win. But if we had for more..."

Duststripe felt his ears lift and his eyes widen as he stared at her. He had an idea which four she meant. And he didn't feel confident or eager at all. If they went there, Tide was likely to rip their ears off.

* * *

**If you didn't catch it, the pawsteps and birdcalls the StarClan cats brought with them was music. In "Burning Darkly" part two, Darkfire met a cat who played in a band and she was the first to die in Tanglewood.**

**Hey everyone, please vote on my profile for my other story. I need to figure out a way to have Lakefrost, a cat in ShadowClan, get the attention of a medicine cat in another Clan. What should the best injury be?**

**If you wanted to see the list of leaders (all the ones Summerheat ever had) and the lives they gave Petal, look below:**

**1) Raven- Dark tortoiseshell tom. Life: Leadership  
2) Beaverpaw- brown tom with black and white tortoiseshell spotting. Life: Perseverance  
3) Silvertail- gray tabby she-cat with silver tail. Life: Rememberance  
4) Speckle- white she-cat with dark face, ginger and brown splotches, and one ear. Life: Curiousity  
5) Soot- gray tom with blue eyes and black stripes on legs. Life: Learning and listening  
6) Fern- light brown tabby she-cat. Life: Love for Clan and others  
7) Haze- light brown tom with gray paws. Life: Youth  
8) Dark- black she-cat with white flecks. Life: Courage to go on in hard times  
9) Glide- long-furred white tom with green eyes. Life: Fair judgement**

**Is that too many lives? Were their only supposed to be eight cats? I can't really remember and I left all of my Warrior books at home.**

**One more thing- *sigh* you must be getting annoyed with me- If you wonder why Beaverpaw kept his apprentice name it was to remind him of where he came from. This is also explained in "Burning Darkly" part three. And the leader names all changed to just one words, dropping the warrior last part after Silvertail. They never adopted the 'star' suffix until now. And for Haze, having a warrior name 'Morninghaze', it is possible, in my story, for the mentors to put something in front of the kit name instead of behind. Hope all these explainations help!**


	17. Chapter 16: Night Ambush

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _Darkness of the Eclipse, Anidori-Isilee, Chat et Chocolat, GinnyStar,_ and _Jocasta Silver.

_Sorry about the long wait, I hoped to get back to this sooner, but I was distracted by Neopets and the Altador Cup. I was trying to help my team win, but we just lose to many games. But I'm back now and here is the next chapter for you._

_Summery: 6 cats leave Tanglewood, chased by rogues, find new forest, hold battle with cats living in the forest already, and are reunited with StarClan who gives their leader nine lives._

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Large ivy vines trailed over the stone wall, their bare branches a rich brown, looking like a net draped over the hedge. The wall wrapped its narrow way around the twoleg dwelling place through both sides of the forest, blocking the view of the three nests, but Duststripe sat on top of the wall, carefully balanced and careful of where he put his paws on the vines, and could see everything in the large garden. The tallest and widest building with a sloping round roof was colored red, the other was a robin egg blue, and the and smallest building was a fading white. Duststripe looked over the dwellings, watching for movement as he sat along the wall. He fluffed his fur against the cold, hunching over as he gazed across the silent yard.

The stars overhead glittered down on him and he wondered if StarClan was watching him. He hoped they would soften the hearts of the four cats he and Cloverleaf were about to speak with. A few clouds rumbled in the distance, nothing more than a dark shadow across the sky, a few sparks of lightning making the horizon purple. Duststripe could only see them in the break through the trees. The twolegs lived at the edge of the forest and to the start of the great plains, dotted with rows of cut stalks, large rows of trees, and berry producing bushes. A narrow dirt path led away from their front porch and out to the unknown through the leafbare sleeping fields of grain and fruit. Currently the rumbling monster was sitting silently behind the blue nest. Duststripe eyed it, certain it wouldn't wake as long as a twoleg wasn't inside.

"Can we go now?" Cloverleaf asked from below, her breath white on her lips. She gazed up at him, her tail flicking in irritation. He'd insisted they wait for the best, quietest time so they wouldn't be surprised by anything. Of course she'd agreed after thinking about it, but she just wanted to get done talking with the other cats. He had a feeling she didn't believe they'd help.

"Yes," he nodded and waited for her to jump up beside him. She clung to the ivy branches, her claws digging in as she neared. Once she was with him, he hopped down the fox length to the ground. His paws crunched down on hard gravel, his hard paws taking the sharp blow.

"Do you know where that bouncing creature went?" she asked, following him. She looked nervously around, slinking through the bare gravel and poking, yellow stems of grass as they approached the first building- the red one.

"They took it inside the blue dwelling with them," Duststripe assured her. He'd make sure of it. Out of all the animals he'd seen today, the bounding creature had seemed more dangerous, listening to all the commands the twolegs gave it.

Cloverleaf nodded and then took the lead. Duststripe followed the tortoiseshell, feeling exposed in the dark and open night. He looked around the yard for a place to hide if he had to. There wasn't much. Just a few bushes, some junk, and the nests. They walked around a large tree stump. The branches had been sheared off straight by some unknown thing, the bark peeling in places to reveal brown-white wood. Pockmarks of bug holes and woodpecker peckings diminished the large stump and as they got closer, Duststripe could see the roots were partly out of the ground, mud still clinging to the twists shapes. The stump tilted towards the two cats and he caught a glimpse of the beneath briefly before they got too far away.

They passed by and approached the red nest. Duststripe strained his neck looking upwards as the roof disappeared behind the roof curves. He looked back down abruptly, his eyes hurting. The nest was old and he could see through the slats that made it. There were thick holes in the nest; the red flaked off in large chunks, revealing dark wood beneath. Moss covered the sides and from inside Duststripe thought he could hear the breathing of large beasts.

He'd seen the twolegs guide a few large animals into the barn. Their long tail's waving around them, their heads bobbing, and their paws making clopping noises as they padded across the gravel. They seemed not to mind when the twolegs got on their backs. Other animals Duststripe had seen were the bounding creature; black and white animals, similar to the ones the twolegs rode but they had shorter faces and thinner legs; and the cats.

The gray cats ran around the yard, teasing the bounding creature, chasing the birds and squirrels, and running in and out of the red nest. Duststripe knew it was Lavender and her brothers. He did see a brown tabby she-cat on occasion but she stayed away from the twolegs the most. The gray cats sometimes allowed the twolegs to reach down and brush their backs gently before running off again. He'd been scared they'd get hurt, but nothing happened to them and he just wondered how the three had gotten to be so confident and if the twolegs were even dangerous at all.

Cloverleaf walked to one of the slats. It bent away from the other next to it, a hole wide enough for them to enter by.

"Give me a few heartbeats and then follow," Cloverleaf paused and glanced at Duststripe. "If there's anything dangerous I'll call out and I'll need room to run."

Duststripe nodded in agreement and Cloverleaf hurried inside. He waited, listening, to make sure nothing happened and after a glance at the robin blue nest, Duststripe followed her into the darkness. Though there were holes, inside felt warm against Duststripe's thick fur and for the first time since greenleaf he felt pleasant. It smelled of crushed grass and many animals. He could hear the squeaking of mice and movement of animals shifting. As his eyes adjusted he looked around and saw they were in the den of one of the larger creatures. He stared up at it, but the eyes were closed, the body stiff as it stood there, the head lowered. Its tail twitched in its sleep and Duststripe felt himself relaxing just a bit. He looked around for his companion but couldn't see her.

"Cloverleaf?" he whispered, hurrying over to the wall and leaping over. He entered the rest of the nest. It was filled with similar dens, dividing the animals from each other. In the far corner he could see mounds of still, twisted, shiny monsters. The fur along his back rose and he quickly looked away. Where had the deputy gone? He looked around but he couldn't see her form moving. He lifted his head, sniffing for her. Her scent was blocked by the reeking of animal dirt around him and the crushed grass. Moonlight gleamed in from somewhere, lighting up the darkness. He looked up searching for the light and saw an opening. His eyes caught the sight of a ledge above him, piled high with soft blocks, creating a wall of a sort. There was more to the nest. It wasn't just one level. He looked for a way up. If he could get there, he might be able to see where Cloverleaf had gone.

Duststripe saw a large wooden ladder leaning on the side of the nest, leading upwards to the loft. He hurried over. Suddenly a shape hurdled down from above, where it had been hiding in the rafters. Duststripe jumped away as claws bit into his back. He stumbled into the ground, losing his footing on something slippery.

"Who dareth to pad about the red walls of our barn?"

Duststripe's ears went back. He recognized the voice. He stood up and faced the shadow that d attacked him.

"My name is Duststripe," he told Mint. "Have you seen Cloverleaf?"

"The cat of dotted fur?" Mint snarled, his lips pulled over white teeth. He crouched down, his long gray fur spread out. His icy blue eyes startling in the wide, flat face.

"Yes," Duststripe meowed, trying to be as non-threatening as possible. He knew he'd trespassed and now he could only hope to escape without a battle. If the cats didn't want him there, he would leave, he just needed to take Cloverleaf with him.

Mint flicked his tail and looked upward.

Hesitating, Duststripe looked up as well, frightened it was just a distraction ploy. On the rafter from which Mint had jumped down, Duststripe saw Cloverleaf dangling. Another gray tom held her neck fur, and a brown tabby held on to Cloverleaf's back careful not to drop her yet. Duststripe's eyes narrowed, his heart chilled.

"She won't get hurt," he meowed defiantly. It wasn't like the rafter was very high and she could always land on her feet.

"Eyes be dim in darkness," Mint meowed, his voice amused. "Legs of feline shouldest you peer closer."

Duststripe strained to see and then he noticed Cloverleaf's legs had somehow been tied together. The tie dug in, lifting up the fur around her paws. If she fell, she wouldn't land on her feet at all. She would definitely get hurt. His ears went back and he stared at Mint.

"Let her go," he growled.

"Enter deeper in land trespassers go," Mint meowed. "Be agreements set, we did. You Clan breaketh them as mouse breaketh upon claw."

"It isn't greenleaf yet," Duststripe growled. "We haven't broken anything."

"More land you seeketh to take," hissed a new voice. Duststripe looked up to the other ledge and saw Lavender, hunching over. Moonlight poured in from the window, lighting up the wall near her. In the darkness the ginger in her gray fur looked like blood. "Paws set around grove, marking land and taking prey. Yours- we giveth. Now Clan be greedy; eyes grasping for our barn, seeketh casting us out of borders. We not wish to giveth this time. Where be friends now? Waiteth outside, padding in after?"

Duststripe stared up at her. He wasn't sure he understood her words, but he tried.

"We aren't here to take any more land," he meowed. "We just came here to talk!"

Lavender shook her head and turned away to disappear into the blocks of hay.

"Necks beginneth to ache," Mint purred, settling down beside Duststripe in the fallen straw.

Duststripe looked up again and saw Tide and Duzie lowering their heads. Cloverleaf was a grown cat. Her weight would start to hurt them. Duststripe's heart raced and he realized he had to convince them. He had to save the life of his deputy.

"We don't want your land," he meowed up to Tide, the leader. "We will give it back to you when we go back to our camp. We don't want this nest. It's yours. We just wanted to ask if you would help us."

"Help?" Mint blinked. Suddenly his calm burst into rage. The gray tom leapt to his paws, snarling in Duststripe's face. "Assisteth thieves who tear and take? Land we give you until green on leaves. Let liveth on land. Now seeketh you help?"

Duststripe flinched away from the tom. He wished he could run away or at least cower against the nest walls. But he had to stay for Cloverleaf. It seemed he was saying all the wrong things. He looked up at his deputy. Why didn't she say anything? She licked her lips, just looking at the ground. Maybe she was scared of heights?

The darkness was all around them. The cats the only thing awake in this nest. Even the mice seemed to have fled from the noise. He could hear nothing but the cats waiting for his answer.

"Because our land was stolen from us," Duststripe meowed quietly.

Mint's eyes shifted and narrowed.

"We lived well in our old territory. We had rogues living in our forest, but we let them stay as there was enough prey for everyone. Then the rogues took over our Clan, chasing out our leader Petal-Petalstar." It was almost hard to remember to say her new name. He was used to just Petal.

"We followed her," he continued, his voice growing stronger . "We still follow her. We're going to follow her back to Tanglewood. But the six of us can't do much about a Clan of rogues. There's our leafcat. He's old and not much of a fighter. There's my kit. He's an apprentice and only still learning how to fight. Then there's the three warriors, but we still can't do much. And Petal is old."

Well, she had been granted youth, but Duststripe didn't know how long that would last and it still didn't prevent her from dying. Supposedly she had nine lives, but if he knew her, she'd use them all to win back the camp for her cats. She'd use them all up quickly and Sullen, or his deputy, would still lead.

"We just came here to ask for your help," Duststripe continued. "We wanted you to go back with us and help us win back our Clan."

Mint stared at Duststripe and quickly looked upward. Duststripe kept his eyes on the tom in front of him, knowing that he was looking for guidance from his leader.

"Please," Duststripe begged, "let's just talk. Set Cloverleaf down."

He finally let himself glance upward. Tide was only a light shadow in the rafters and he couldn't tell what the other tom was thinking. Then Duststripe heard the grunt. He slowly watched Cloverleaf be drawn up until her body lay out on the rafter. Claws cut through whatever held her down and slowly Cloverleaf stood up to face the gray tom.

"Speaketh to us," Tide meowed, looking down at Duststripe. "I be willing to heareth trespasser's words."

Duststripe felt a bit relieved but he could still see Tide was doubtful. There was only one bright side to this all. Cloverleaf hadn't been hurt and they were getting what they wanted in the first place.

_**-Line-**_

Higher up in the loft now, Duststripe could feel all their eyes on him. Lavender stayed as far away as she could on top of one of the bales, gazing down at them. Mint took a lower bale, and only Tide and Duzie, his mate, lay down on the loose hay with Cloverleaf and Duststripe.

"Speak," Tide meowed. His dark blue eyes were hard and Duststripe could tell he and Cloverleaf only had a few chances left to please him.

"Petalstar sent us to talk with you," Cloverleaf meowed.

She glared at the tom. Duststripe could tell she was angry with him. She'd been caught so easily and had been defeated, held at the mercy of the other cats. She hated losing and she hated being helpless. It had probably brought back memories of the time she almost died.

"She wanted to have us ask for your help in greenleaf when we went back to Tanglewood," Cloverleaf continued. "You don't even have to agree if you don't want. If you do and we all go to retake our land you can always come back here when we're done."

Duststripe's ears flicked. He didn't remember Petalstar saying that. He looked over at Cloverleaf and saw how still she sat. He held his tongue. How was he supposed to go against his deputy? Especially in front of these four cats who were practically their enemies?

"Why should we?" Tide asked in one of the clearer sentences Duststripe had heard the siblings speak. "Perfectly be our lives in the barn. There be food, water, shelter. What maketh us wish helping give you?"

Cloverleaf's eyes narrowed and Duststripe knew she didn't want to say anything to convince him to join their Clan.

"We can teach you how to fight," Duststripe meowed quietly.

"Fighting well enough we have," Tide meowed, licking one of his striped paws. "Defeated you, did we not?"

Duststripe felt his ears grow warm. He did have a point.

"Once," Duststripe meowed. "Just this once. We chased you off in the grove."

Mint growled. He hadn't been at the battle, but obviously the reminder offended him. Lavender sighed from above but said nothing.

"Yes," Tide growled. "I well rememberest. Sister of mine made there unwise decision."

"We are grateful for her promise," Duststripe meowed, nodding. "And we will still keep it."

"What could you teach us about fighting?" Duzie asked.

Duststripe blinked, turning to her. He'd thought she'd sound as strange as the siblings, but he didn't have to translate what she said in his head.

"Techniques," he finally meowed. "You just strike blindly, but we can teach you went the best moment is when your enemy is off guard, how to dodge and how to strike. We have a code of honor we could share."

"Honor?" Lavender meowed. "What knoweth your heart of honor? Be come here passed nightfall, willing to fight us. Take more land."  
She shook her head.

"I told you it's not like that," Duststripe tried to explain. He stared at her, knowing that out of all the cats, she seemed to be the most doubtful, the most hurt by what they'd done. He still didn't understand it, but he felt bad that somehow he'd made things worse for her, that he'd lost her respect.

"Silence Lavender," Tide meowed to his sister. "Listen well to trespassers. Learn we must if they come against us once more. Learn too of fighting. Will better us fight bordercrossers."

Duststripe blinked. He'd never heard that term before. He also realized Tide might want to learn how to fight, but might not help them. He'd never actually thought of these cats as sly before, just ready to fight. Now he realized how dangerous they could be. It was the way they spoke that made him think they were mousebrains.

"We won't teach you for free," Cloverleaf growled. "You have to join us and promise you'll help before we teach you anything."

Tide's eyes narrowed as he stared at the deputy and Duststripe had to swallow a growl.

"There are a few other conditions," the brown warrior meowed.

"You dareth to form conditions with us?" Tide hissed, turning on Duststripe now. "Our land you borrow. Our food you consume. What conditions we make with you?"

Duststripe hesitated. Did he really want these cats for Clanmates? Someone who would turn against him at any moment. He swallowed. He had to trust Petalstar on this. He knew they needed more cats to help them against Sullen's rogues. He was grateful Cloverleaf had said they could come back to the twolegs when it was all over. It gave them an option. One he hoped these cats would take after all.

"You'd have to live with us in the forest," he meowed. "You can't live with twolegs or eat their food. You'd have to live the lives of warriors, hunting and providing for the Clan, fighting off dangerous animals, and building up our camp. You'd learn to fight, learn about StarClan," never had that name ever meant much, but as he uttered it, he felt braver, "and as we said, come to Tanglewood with us to chase off the rogues."

The four stared at him as if they were confused. Finally Duzie spoke up.

"What do you mean, stay away from the twolegs? It's warm here. We'd never last out there during Snowfall."

"We do it every season," Duststripe meowed. "You can do it to."

"There's hardly any food," she protested. "We'd starve."

"It is one of the hardships," Duststripe nodded. "But once you survive it, you appreciate the prey you catch during all seasons."

She just blinked at him as if he were the insane one.

"From your lips to my ears, I heard 'StarClan'," Tide meowed. "What meaneth this?"

"It's our warrior ancestors," Cloverleaf meowed. "When we die our spirits join them in Silverpelt in the night sky. They gave us our warrior code and our ceremonies."

"Dead cats?" Tide asked. "What can dead do to help living?"

"Speak with us," Duststripe meowed. "Warn us."

"They speak?"

Duststripe nodded solemnly. "Just the other day we met with them at the pool in the grove. They gave Petalstar nine lives and told her to get the Clan back."

Four pairs of eyes grew wider and stared at him. He couldn't even ear them shifting in the hay or see their tails twitch.

"We met the founders of our Clan," Cloverleaf meowed. Duststripe glanced at her and saw she looked please at their surprise.

"Bareth interest, this does," Tide meowed slowly. "Might we meet?"

Duststripe nodded slowly. "Perhaps. We haven't actually seen them before this, so we don't quite know when or if we will. But they might come back."

"Swearest thou by StarClan to uphold promise?" Tide asked, his eyes narrow again.

"I swear we will leave by greenleaf no matter if you help us or not," Duststripe meowed. "But you too must swear by something sacred to you if you agree to help us. You must swear that if we teach you how to fight and live like a Clan cat, you will not refuse to help us when greenleaf comes. You will come with us to Tanglewood and fight."

Tide blinked and then looked at his siblings. They stared down at him with calm eyes. Then finally he looked at Duzie.

"Be willing to live in snowfall?" he asked her. "No warmth or easy food?"

"For you I would," she meowed, not quite meeting his eyes. "I don't hold anything for these cats." She glared at them. "I don't know why we have to help them. Just to learn how to fight!"

"Not just," Tide meowed, leaning into her side. "Only be fair to assist their fighting out trespassers. Give back Clan to them."

Duzie narrowed her eyes but slowly nodded.

Tide glanced once more at his siblings as if expecting refusal and then turned to Duststripe. "Agreement I giveth for my family. We bring help to Clan if be learning moves of teeth and claws. Fighting."  
"Swear it on something sacred?" Duststripe asked. Somehow he found it easier to think is smaller sentences.

"I sweareth it," Tide meowed. He turned to his brother.

"I sweareth it," the big, gray tom meowed, looking at the ground.

Lavender nodded, but her yellow eyes looked sorrowful.

Finally Duzie meowed her agreement and it was finished.

"When leaveth us this barn?" Tide meowed.

"Tonight," Cloverleaf meowed, standing up. "We'll taketh-"

She blinked and shook her head. Duststripe grinned. Their way of talking did get into your head.

"We'll _take_ you to our camp now," the deputy meowed, her nose wrinkled. "We'll show you the dens and in the morning we'll start."

"Never returneth us here?" Lavender asked, slowly rising from her perch.

"It will be unlikely," Cloverleaf replied.

"However," Duststripe meowed, drawing attention. "_If_ the leafbare does get very bad here and there is no prey. I don't see why Petalstar wouldn't allow us to come back here. We might be strict about Clan life, but in the end if everyone had to die just to keep it, there wouldn't be a point to it."

Duzie looked assured at that and quickly followed the warriors as they left the barn.

**_-Line-_**

The next morning and Petalstar assigned who would take over who's training. Cloverleaf got Mint, Lightberry got Duzie, Duststripe got to teach Lavender (with help of course since he still had to mentor his own son) and Petalstar got Tide. The gray tom with the striped legs looked please to be taught by the leader of the group. Duststripe had a feeling Petalstar knew exactly how to handle him.

The first lesson the four cats learned was what a leafcat did. They had wondered why Waterdrop wouldn't be teaching anyone so Petalstar explained that a leafcat usually wasn't supposed to fight and that it was more important for them to learn herbs to heal others.

Duzie thought that was interesting and wanted to stay, but Lightberry insisted they go out so she could assess what Duzie already knew. Frog meanwhile, stared wide eyed at Lavender, last remembering the she-cat under his father's claws at the battle. Duststripe could tell his son didn't understand how enemies at one moment could get along the next. Duststripe didn't quite understand it either, but he knew for now the warriors and the barn cats were at a truce. As long as their interests coincided. He just wondered how long that would be.

* * *

**Hope that chapter was worth your while.**

**I came up with the barn cat's speach as a random about of bes and '-th's, kind of like a mixture between the badger Midnight and whatever else. The first time I wrote it, it was easier. This time was a bit more tricky as I had to figure out how they talked in conversations.**


	18. Chapter 17: The Return

_Disclaimer: Warriors and terms by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to my reviewers: _Jocasta Silver, Goldenstream, Shiningspirit, Darkness of the Eclipse, GinnyStar, _and_ Anidori-Isilee

_I know a lot of time has passed since I updated this, but I hope you didn't forget too much. You can finally get the continuation. And think of it this way. You're almost half way done!_

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Time passed in the new forest. Leafbare was as harsh as Duzie made it out to be and eventually one night, the ten cats finally went back to the barn where it was warm and they had many mice to hunt down. The blizzards raged on outside, pounding snow against the barn and piling up against the cracked walls. The twolegs only came out on occasion to feed the animals of the barn and walk them around the wide aisle. The cats hid when the appeared, staying out of sight in the loft or behind the broken metal in the back of the barn. The twolegs would call and for a time the barn cats looked like they wanted to go out to them.

"It's all they've known," Duzie meowed to Duststripe one of those occurrences. "They grew up here as kits with their mother. The twolegs took care of them. It's hard to ignore everything they've learned."

Duststripe blinked his eyes and tried to understand. He knew he'd grown up as a warrior, so leaving the code and not following Petalstar would be strange to him. Like if he decided to leave the forest and live with twolegs. In this case, these cats had to do just the opposite. He felt wonder stir inside him. They were willing to give up everything they'd known just to help his Clan. He didn't look at the siblings quite the same way anymore.

When it was possible, Duststripe and the others took the barn cats outside in the forest to practice hunting. It was hard to find anything, but it taught them patience and would make hunting in greenleaf easier. They constantly battle trained in the warm hay in the barn. Though prickly, the hay and straw was soft to land on and soaked up any 'accidental' bleeding. Cloverleaf and Mint had many problems when they fought; each worked up to anger and eventually either couldn't contain it. They didn't like losing. Duststripe thought their personalities were too much alike. Somehow they didn't think so and seemed to hate each other, although he did catch Mint staring at Cloverleaf with a dreamy look on his face once.

When the snows started falling softly again and sparsely between, the cats finally went back to Grove Camp to sleep inside the bushes. They did walk back to the barn when food became impossible to find. They managed to live.

The clouds started parting one day. The thick gave way to blue sky. The crust of snow underpaw became wet and easily breakable. So during that time, they went out hunting as often as they could. This day Lavender had been left at camp to clear away debris and to prepare a fresh-kill pile hole in the cold ground. Duststripe and Frog were hunting for that prey. Duststripe could see Frog farther behind, following. He would dart between the tree trunks as if searching for animals. Duststripe paused and sniffed for scents. He took the time to glance around. When he peered at a bush, he thought he saw a hint of green curling at the very edge of the branch. He blinked and felt a smile on his face.

"What do you see here, Frog?" he meowed, motioning his son forward with a swish of his tail.

The gray and brown apprentice slowly walked forward over the snow, ignoring the pines and trees around him to come to the bush. The snow crunched under his paws and he struggled to keep his balance.

"A bush," he meowed finally.

"But what does it mean when it's becoming green?"

Frog paused and his eyes narrowed. "It means it's a weed?"

Duststripe frowned to stop himself from laughing. His son really didn't realize. "No. The snow is thawing. Newleaf is coming!"

Frog blinked and his mouth opened slightly and he peered even more intently at the bush. "I see," he mewed sagely.

Duststripe smiled and scooped up some snow in his paw. He quickly flung it at his son and the slush hit Frog square in the face. Frog startled and stood very still. The crystals dripped from his whiskers, but some clung as though frost had settled on him.

Duststripe cackled and lowered himself as if to pounce. He felt happy. His legs tingled and his chest swelled. Newleaf was coming! The snow was over and that meant he could go home!

Frog didn't waste any more time while his father acted like a kit. The apprentice leapt up, barreling forward, pushing into the snow now, not bothering to be quiet. Duststripe puffed out his fur, and stood on his toes, ready for his son. When Frog got near him, he jumped forward and over his son. Frog seemed to be expecting that and reached up. Duststripe felt claws in his back legs and suddenly he was pulled down. He fell onto the snow, scattering it around him. Frog was there, scooping pawfuls of the white and dumping them onto his father.

"You get to be the first snow cat," Frog meowed, continuing to bury his father.

"Never," Duststripe pretended to growl.

He flipped onto his back and pushed Frog away. The apprentice slid, but recovered. He grinned and he jumped onto his father's belly. Duststripe lost his breath.

"I win," Frog purred, jumping off of his father. He curled his tail and spun around. The gray and brown tom slipped and fell into the bush, falling behind the branches and old leaves.

Duststripe got up and laughed. "But you lost to a plant."

Frog pushed his head from the inside and pulled the rest of his body out. The branches and twigs clung to his thick fur. As he came out, the bush shook and snow fell on his head. Frog sputtered and tossed his head, getting the snow off. Duststripe laughed even harder.

Frog glared and stalked off, disappearing between the thick trunks of the trees.

A moon later, the snow was all gone, washed away in the rain of newleaf. Green flourished on tips of pines and the ends of the hardwood trees. Buds of yellow and pink dotted the low bushes. Vines trailing along the ground grew thick leaves, covering their brown branches. Bird song darted through the tops of the trees, their shadows flitting across the ground. Duststripe's mouth watered as he stared at them. His stomach was full, even though the morsels were skinny with leafbare's lack of food. Feathers and patches of fur fluttered around the empty camp.

Then a cat rose out from the tunnel beneath the rock. Her red fur washed with the light from the new sun filtering through the trees and the leaves and the trunks. The gold light touched the green with warmth and Petalstar stretched. Duststripe lifted his head.

His leader nodded to him and then summoned the cats around the Great Boulder.

They came out from the bushes and the other side of the gorse hedge. When everyone was gathered she looked them in the eye.

There were the barn cats: Tide, Mint, Lavender, and Duzie. Then there was her deputy Cloverleaf, leafcat Waterdrop, and warriors Lightberry and Duststripe. Last but hardly least Frog sat next to Cloverleaf. Everyone gave their attention to the leader.

"Newleaf is here and so it is time to fulfill our promise," Petalstar meowed, looking at the barn cats. "It is time to go back to Tanglewood and reclaim our Clan."

They nodded at her. They would come with the Summerheat cats. They'd trained all leaf-bare for the opportunity.

"I don't think we should all go back now," Cloverleaf spoke up.

Petalstar turned to her deputy in surprise. "Why not? It is hardly time to back out of this fight."

"I know," Cloverleaf assured her. "I'm eager to tear those rogues' pelts off more than any other cat, but we can't all return yet. We don't know what we're getting into."

"What do you mean?"

"We need to send scouts. A patrol to examine our territory. See who is in charge of Summerheat, how good their defenses are, and how far the territory has extended."

Petalstar thought it over. "I agree. We might even find help in our old Clan. We will send scouts."

"I will lead," Cloverleaf meowed. "You must stay here. Sullen wanted you dead before. We can't have him killing you after all this work."

"I have nine lives now," Petalstar reminded her. "He only has one."

"But those are nine lives you cannot waste," Cloverleaf meowed.

Duststripe nodded in agreement while the others meowed theirs. Only the barn cats still seemed confused. They hadn't been there to see StarClan give Petalstar the lives. Duststripe still shivered at the memory.

"And who would you take with you?" Petalstar asked.

"Duststripe and Lightberry," Cloverleaf meowed.

It was not quite half of the cats, but Duststripe felt it might devastate the Grove camp's ranks. The barn cats didn't quite know how to live warriors lives just yet.

"Why can't they come with us?" he asked, nodding to Tide and the others.

"Liketh knowing answers to that, would myself," Tide meowed in his odd speech. His eyes narrowed as he looked over Cloverleaf.

"You don't know the territory like we do," Cloverleaf meowed bluntly. "We need to know it to escape if we have to. You would only slow us down. You still need more training anyway."

"That is true," Petalstar meowed. "But what can us two old cats do while you're away?"

"You are hardly old anymore," Cloverleaf meowed. "You can still train them. And Frog will be here to help."

Help with what, Duststripe wondered. Be a nuisance? His son had hardly been an apprentice. He didn't know much of Clan life, having grown up on the run.

"I won't stay," Frog meowed, glaring at Cloverleaf. "I'm coming too. Even if I have to follow after you."

Cloverleaf stared down at him, one eye narrow as if annoyed but amused he was questioning her.

"I don't think we should take him," Duststripe meowed quickly. He didn't want to take his son in this dangerous situation. What if they were caught?

"Let him," Petalstar meowed. "It wouldn't hurt to acquaint him with the territory. Young cats can blend in better than older ones."

Duststripe's eyes widened. She was letting him come?

"Then we leave now," Cloverleaf announced.

"Good luck, and my StarClan light your path," Petalstar meowed.

The barn cats muttered the same, all though it didn't mean the same to them. Even Waterdrop, the usually tense and unfriendly tom, nodded to them, a kinder look on his gray, elderly face.

Duststripe quickly started following Cloverleaf, Lightberry behind him. Frog kept pace with the deputy, a smile on his face. He'd won his way yet again. Duststripe couldn't help but think his son was growing up spoiled.

As they passed the gorse hedge wall, he glanced back once. The mostly gray cats stared at them as they left, perhaps surprised at how quickly they'd decided to leave. Lavender had an uneasy look in her eyes and Duststripe thought she might be worried for them. Worried if they'd ever return. He suddenly realized just how worried he was about that too.

_**-Line-**_

In comparison by how long they'd taken to get to Grove Camp, Duststripe thought the journey back was shorter. Rains constantly washed by, making the ground muddy and everything green around them, but they walked through it all, hiding under bushes or in burrows in the worst of it. They walked constantly, the sun to their backs.** (Unless it was the other way. I forgot what direction I had them in when they left.)**

The moon shrank and grew. Time passed. And then they arrived. Duststripe could see the long reaching forest on the horizon. A glittering patch of ground was the marsh next to the forest, fading into the trees to form the dark bog.

"We'll rest at the Rockpile tonight," Cloverleaf meowed, glancing around. The sun had started to set behind them and Duststripe knew it would take half the night to reach the large pile of rocks on the outside of the forest. They'd spent a few days there after the rogues chased them out.

Lightberry nodded and they started walking again. Frog lagged behind him. The apprentice's short legs hadn't quite handled the journey, but there wasn't much leniency for him. He'd been allowed to come. Even Cloverleaf could see that and she'd told him that first day htat he'd conform to their schedule, not them to his. He'd managed, but halfway through had him exhausted and sleeping soundly through the nights, hard to wake up. They couldn't even get him to hunt. So the warriors had taken over after establishing nests.

With the moon overhead, the four cats reached the Rockpile. Tall, standing boulders reached into the sky while others leaned on their sides. They stood out as dark shadows in the night. The cats approached one of the leaning stones and curled up at the base.

When Duststripe next awoke, the sun was curving down from its sunhigh peak. His stomach rumbled and he slowly got up. Cloverleaf's tortoiseshell pelt laid next to him, Frog on her other side. He couldn't see Lightberry anywhere. He stood up and sniffed. Her scent was fresh. She hadn't been gone long. He hoped she was getting food. He stood and stretched, easing his sore muscles. Then he went to hunt as well.

He returned shortly after, a mouse and a bird in his jaws. Lightberry had caught a rabbit which she and Frog shared. Cloverleaf spotted Duststripe coming back and she tilted her head as if asking. He nodded and gave her the bird.

They ate and after burying the bones, Cloverleaf led them to the forest.

"I don't want any of you talking out of turn," she meowed quietly as they entered the shadows underneath the trees. The undergrowth started shooting from the ground, thick and squeaking with prey.

"We don't want to be seen or heard by the rogues. Just follow me and try to remember what you see on the way. We want to spot things different than we're used to. First we'll concentrate on the camp. Let's go."

They nodded to her. Duststripe firmly held his jaws closed, in an effort not to even make a peep. He glanced at his son, wondering if Frog could remember that.

Cloverleaf turned around and swiftly led them into the forest. She guided them away from the edge and to the center, bordering the bog, where cats didn't like to tread because of the wetness. They walked along the borders, searching for a way into the camp. They had nothing to fear from border patrols because cats scentmarked when they got around to it, or at least that had been the old way. Now as they started for the camp, Duststripe thought the scent of cats was very pungent. The closer they got, the stronger it was. He wondered if that meant the rogues made sure the border was marked so no cats would come near. That didn't mean good news for them if that was true.

Cloverleaf saw it as an advantage. She had them roll in the new scents, coating their own and blending with the cats in the territory. It would be harder for any cat to identify them now.

They came to the slope above the camp and Duststripe looked down into the clearing that was once his home. There was the warrior's den, a bunch of bushes near a crumbling fallen log; the leafcat's den, a crack in a boulder next to more bushes; the nursery, a rosebush in full bloom; the leaders den a burrow under the earth beneath the Low Branch; and the elder's den, a nice place in the roots of a tree stump.

The four hid under a large fern and watched the camp as cats left and entered.

"Should we do this tonight?" Duststripe asked, glancing skyward. The sun was close to setting. They wouldn't have much light. The cats would be returning to Sullen and Bark's camp to rest for the night. That meant more cats. More cats they'd have to fight through if it didn't work out.

"We have to," Cloverleaf meowed. "The longer we stay in the territory the more likely they are to find us. They'll become suspicious if we stay long. They'll be on guard."

Even Lightberry agreed.

"So do we go in?" the brown she-cat with black spots meowed.

Cloverleaf looked uncertain.

"We might find help," Lightberry meowed. "Someone has to resent Sullen and the rogues taken over. They must want Petalstar back."

"They might think she died," Cloverleaf meowed. "It's been almost four seasons."

"I'll go in," Duststripe meowed. He glanced back at camp. His mate was down there. Out of all the cats he wanted to see her most.

"Are you taking Frog?" Cloverleaf questioned.

"I don't want to," he meowed, "but I might get away with being mentor and apprentice."

"Assuming they kept up the practice," Lightberry muttered. "Do you think it'll work?" Lightberry asked Cloverleaf. Concern was on the older warrior's face.

"We did rub ourselves in their scent and it hasn't changed that much in a few moons," replied the leader of the group. Then she turned to face Duststripe and his son. "Are you ready?" Cloverleaf asked.

Duststripe nodded. "I just won't let them see mine or Frog's faces. They might recognize us."

"Or not recognize you," Lightberry warned, pointing with her tail. "I'm sure they know all the members by now."

Duststripe nodded in agreement. Perhaps he should have thought of that before, then maybe he wouldn't have brought Frog with him. Or suggested bringing him down. He looked around for his son, to tell him they were going to the camp.

Frog pounced on a mouse some ways off and killed it.

"Frog!" Duststripe growled in irritation. "You don't hunt on another's territory."

He stared at his son and apprentice. How had he gotten so far away from the fern? It was dangerous out there unprotected, what was he doing?

"But you said it used to be ours," the young brown tom with gray spots protested, crouching over his catch.

Duststripe was about to say something more, when Cloverleaf meowed, "Let him eat it, Duststripe. You might as well have some strength when you go in there. You may need to fight to get out."  
The two warriors shared a glance. With it, Cloverleaf assured him she'd save him if she had to. They didn't have many cats to waste.

Finally the dusty brown tom with large stripes nodded. Then he waited for his son to finish.

"I wonder how Lilyfern is," he murmured to himself, remembering his tortoiseshell mate he hadn't seen in moons.

"You'll see her today I'm sure," Lightberry meowed with a smile. "Maybe you can convince her to come with us."

Duststripe's eyes shown with hope. He wanted his little family to be together again. The moons away had been hard. And if he could convince her to help Petalstar, things would get better. Even if they found no one else to help, or didn't have enough cats, maybe she'd leave with him and they'd all go back to GroveClan.

"I get to see Mother?" Frog asked happily, licking the blood from his muzzle. He left the bones behind him as he came toward his father.

"Oh, yes," Duststripe meowed, remembering the last time Frog had seen Lilyfern. His son would hardly remember her now. He probably just thought of her as a warm pelt with milk. He hoped when they met, they would find something to talk about.

"Come," Duststripe meowed.

Frog smiled and started down with his father.


	19. Chapter 18: Lilyfern's Change

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_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

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**Chapter 18**

They walked into the clearing. Duststripe found it hard to keep his head high and not act suspicious. He couldn't duck away or sneak. He had to walk confidently as if he knew where he was going. But he didn't. He wasn't sure where to find Lilyfern. Would she be back in the warriors den? Had Sullen changed all the nests, forced she-cats and toms to be apart? He didn't know, and it worried him just how much he wasn't sure of things.

He glanced around, but the other cats didn't seem to be paying attention to him. He could spot a few he recognized. Some from the Clan and other rouges he'd fought along the border. They didn't seem to react to him. They must not have recognized him, or else he was so familiar to them they didn't notice.

He glanced behind. Frog trailed there. His little ears kept twitching, eyes darting as he got a good look at the camp for his first time.

"I remember," Frog meowed, narrowing his eyes. "The smells. The sounds."

Duststripe smiled. That was good. At least he didn't feel completely out of place here. Then his son froze. Ears alert and high, Frog had his eyes on one thing. The rose bush. The nursery.

Duststripe couldn't stop his son when Frog ran forward, racing around other cats for the bush.

Duststripe stared on in shock, just stopping himself from calling out. Frog was ruining their cover. He was acting suspicious and drawing attention. Duststripe had to duck his head as he hurried after his son.

Frog's gray tail disappeared into the bush as Duststripe got there. He quickly glanced around and ducked in. Darkness blocked his sight. It smelled of milk and feathers. The vines and branches were woven tightly, letting in only trails of light. It illuminated one tortoiseshell she-cat, laying down, eyes closed tightly.

Duststripe blinked. Was it really her? He approached, paws light on the thick moss blanketing the floor. He could faintly see the white stripe running down her back. It was her, his Lilyfern.

He smiled, his eyes softening. He wanted to reach down and breath in her scent. He was finally home with her.

"She has kits." The whisper was harsh, reminding Duststripe of his son. He looked over and spotted Frog standing tensely beside his mother. He leaned over peering at the bundles of fur by Lilyfern's side.

One was black and the other white spotted with black. Duststripe knew they weren't his own. They were too young. He pulled back, bumping into the bush's wall.

He stifled a yowl of pain as a thorn pierced his hind quarters. But Lilyfern awoke. Her golden eyes shot open and she was already rising to protect the kits before she was fully aware. Her eyes cleared and stared at him.

"Duststripe?" she meowed. Confusion lit her face. She glanced toward the beam of light that was the entrance. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you again," Duststripe swallowed, moving away from the walls. He quickly leaned back and licked the wound.

"But you've been gone," she meowed. "Dead."

"I never died," he meowed. He hoped that's the only thing she thought he was. "Was that why you took another mate?"

She glanced at the kits at her belly. They'd awaken with her movements and started to suckle, kneading their kit-claws into her side.

"No," she meowed. She looked back up at him.

Duststripe's ears went back. He felt crushed. She'd taken on a mate, not because he'd died, but because of something else?

"You really didn't think it was forever did you?" she asked. She seemed confused. When he didn't answer, her eyes softened and she looked at him with something like pity. "I never promised you that, Duststripe."

"But I've been waiting for you," he meowed. "All this time I hoped to come back to you."

She looked away. As her eyes left him, they settled on Frog who huddled away from her, hiding in the shadow.

"Who is this?" Lilyfern asked. Her ears rose. She peered into the darkness, searching. Her nose twitched.

"That is Frog," Duststripe meowed. "My apprentice. Our son."

Lilyfern gasped. She rose and the kits fell away. They mewled with her gone. She ignored them and walked toward Frog.

"I thought he died! He was sick. You took him away that day. I didn't think I'd ever see him again!"

She rushed forward and started to lick Frog. He snarled at her and backed away.

"I am not your kit," he snapped. "I refuse to be. You betrayed Duststripe!"

"Frog," Lilyfern meowed. Her voice became soft and hurt.

"Don't even call me that," Frog turned away. "I don't care what you have to say."

Lilyfern took a step back. She glanced at Duststripe.

"I never told him to. . ." he wasn't sure what he wanted to say: hate her, feel betrayed, or even happy? He'd assumed everything would go well. He was wrong.

"What are their names?" Duststripe sighed. He turned away, not looking at her or the kits in question.

"Fleet is the spotted tom, Sleek is the black she-cat," Lilyfern murmured. She settled back down with them. They curled near her side, grateful to have her back. "I won't tell you who the father is."

Duststripe nodded. He didn't expect her to. Not when he felt like finding that tom and hurting him.

"What happened while we were away?" Duststripe meowed. He had a reason for being here, he remembered. His first goal was done, his heart battered by the revelation. Now he had to fulfill the second. For Petalstar and the rest.

"Sullen took over of course," Lilyfern meowed. "Where were you?"

"We left Tanglewood," he replied. "Did he change the camp?"

"He's changed it. We have more patrols and everyone is required to bring at least one piece of prey back before they can eat. We all have to listen to him or else we pay. I heard you left with Petal. Is she still with you?"

He shook his head. "How 'pay'?"

"His deputies claw us or we don't get food. The worst is death, but no one died since that first quarter moon. Do you know where Petal is?"

"No idea. We traveled together for a short time. Then when the rogues chased us, we got separated." He knew he lied. But he had to. She was working for the others now. She might be gathering information for Sullen. "Do they keep watch for anything?"

"Yes, for Petal. Sullen is convinced she'll come back. He has us watch for her while we hunt. That's why the patrols increased. So do you think she'll come back?"

"It's her Clan," he meowed quietly. "She just wouldn't give up. She would come back if she were able."

"She is getting old," Lilyfern meowed.

Duststripe nodded. "Who died?"

Lilyfern grew still. "Desertfur. He tried to protect Petal when she ran away and left us. He died for doing that. Clearecho died afterward not long. But she wasn't killed. Deadeye died too when he lead an attempt escape. But it hasn't been that bad. There aren't deaths now. So where did you stay during leafbare?"

"Far away in another forest. We lived in barn. How many rogues are here compared to old Clan members?"

So they traded questions, each hoping for more. Not quite answering the whole truth, perhaps not trusting each other. Not like they use to. Or perhaps it was the same for her. He'd been blinded by love, seeing only the best in her, not realizing he was only temporary.

"Why did you return Duststripe?" she meowed. "It's been so long and if you were far away, why did you come to see me?"

He closed his eyes and breathed deep. "I came to join the Clan again. I wanted to be with you. If I couldn't rejoin, I was going to ask you to come with me. I don't really have a reason now."

"You could still join. I don't think Sullen would turn you away."

He looked at her. Wouldn't he? Sullen had no need for more cats, and Duststripe had traveled with Petal. The rogues had seen them. What reason did the big yellow tom cat have to trust him or let him in the Clan once more? Sullen had wanted him dead before. No because they knew each other. Only because they had Petal in common.

"I won't," he shook his head. "I'll just go back. I can't live in a changed place like this."

Lilyfern sighed and didn't look at him. "I'm sorry. But I really didn't promise."

He didn't reply.

"Mother!"

Duststripe looked toward Frog, surprised his son would use that word again. Perhaps surprised Frog would speak at all. The apprentice had stayed in the corner, glowering at the kits and Lilyfern. He didn't say a thing, just watching.

Now Frog raised his head. His ears were tense, his eyes toward the entrance of the rose bush.

Duststripe looked too. Inside jumped two young cats. One was a ginger tom with black ear points, the other a gray tom with dark, black stripes. Duststripe suddenly remembered their names. He'd seen them long ago. Fox and Bee. Frog's brothers.

They tumbled inside, looking pleased. Then Fox halted. He froze on his long legs, staring at Duststripe and then Lilyfern.

"Who is this?" the ginger tom demanded. "I don't recognize him."

Bee looked between them and then spotted Frog in the corner. "I don't know him either."

Fox looked. His yellow eyes narrowed.

"Intruders," he hissed.

"Fox, Bee," Lilyfern spoke up. "I'd like you to meet your father. Duststripe. That over there, is your brother: Frog."

"I didn't know we had another brother," Bee meowed.

"I never told you about him, because I thought he was dead," Lilyfern meowed quietly.

"What are they doing here?" Fox demanded. "I thought he'd run away when Sullen became our leader." He glared at Duststripe and the brown tom was surprised to see anger. He swallowed.

"They came to visit," Lilyfern meowed. "Did you want to say hi?"

Bee opened his mouth, but Fox beat him too it.

"No," he meowed, eyes narrow. He started backing out.

Duststripe's fur rose and he watched his son start leaving the bush. Bee's ears went back, confusion in his eyes. But he copied his brother. They both left the den.

"Frog," Duststripe meowed harshly. "Come on."

Frog got up and walked over.

"Good bye, Lilyfern," Duststripe meowed.

"You don't have to go," Lilyfern tried to say.

Duststripe ignored her and left the den. His eyes scanned the area. He could see Fox and Bee walking up to two cats. The rest lay around the clearing, eating prey. The sky started to turn black above.  
Duststripe walked from the den and started for the edge of the clearing. He wanted to reach the trees as quickly as possible. Frog hurried beside him, sensing the mood. Neither spoke. Duststripe kept his ears back, listening for the call.

It came.

"Stop them!"

He didn't turn back to look.

"Move," he snapped at Frog.

The apprentice moved. They both started running for the tree line. The brown warrior's heart raced as he wondered just how many cats were coming after him. It was then he realized his children had given him up. They'd told their mentors about the intruders. His family had betrayed him.


	20. Chapter 19: The Exit

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Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter

_Thanks to reviewers: _Anidori Isilee, Chat et Chocolat, _and GinnyStar._

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You are all lucky I have hours between classes. I get really bored since I don't have homework yet. So I write.

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**Chapter 19**

They ran for the tree line. Behind them in the clearing the cats started rising from the ground, their evening meals forgotten. Duststripe felt his heart pound as the forest and its undergrowth neared. They just had to reach that. It would be harder to fight in, but it would give him and Frog an advantage. Not so many cats could come against them there.

Of course Duststripe wanted to avoid a fight if he could. He didn't want Frog injured from battle. Just after leaving Lilyfern behind in the nursery with some other tom's kits made Duststripe's heart and head burn. His legs shook with anger or fear. He knew though he was scared of being caught, but he wanted to take out his anger on some other cat. Lilyfern wasn't his mate anymore. Even his and her other kits had turned against him. It was Bee and Fox who gave him away to their mentors, warning them that intruders had entered the camp. He could only imagine how Frog felt about the whole thing. The apprentice had returned to a camp he'd only heard about and must have thought it would be fantastic, not a disappointment like this.

They reached the trees. The forest floor was covered with fallen leaves from last leaf-fall and ripped up moss. Duststripe jumped over a fallen log as Frog raced around it. They entered the undergrowth, the ferns waving around them. The gloom was stronger under the tree leaves. Night was falling and in the forest the shadows grew. It would give them a better opportunity to hide.

Suddenly Frog stumbled. The apprentice tripped and fell onto his chest. Duststripe heard the thud and turned around, stopping to look behind. Just then the first of the Clan leapt over the fallen tree, racing for them. Snarls were on their scarred, bony faces. Duststripe ran forward to protect his son.

Just then a pelt of brown and black flew through the air. She landed on top of the lead cat, forcing him to fall. Then she started tearing into him, pushing with her back feet, scouring long gashes in his side. He yowled in pain.

Duststripe was over to his son by now, helping him up. The other cats from the camp flowed around Lightberry and her opponent. Some stopped to help their Clanmate while others ran for Duststripe and Frog. As Duststripe stared at them, the faces formed into ones he recognized. There was Rednose, the white tom with a red muzzle and tail; Bluelightening, the former deputy; Night, a black rogue who'd chased him and Petal and the others across the plains; and Storm, a large gray she-cat rogue. In the front of them all was Bee and Fox with their two mentors.

Duststripe noticed that as his Clanmates saw who they were about to fight, the snarls left their faces and they pulled away in confusion. The rogues didn't hesitate, nor did the younger warriors who might have been apprentices or kits when Duststripe left.

"Fight you cowards," one of the rogues yowled at the Clan cats. Many looked ashamed or scared but started forward again.

Frog was up and he didn't waste time in jumping on one of his brothers. Fox, the ginger tom fell beneath him and they became a tangle of legs and flying fur. Duststripe confronted one of the mentors, a young silver she-cat with black patches that seemed familiar, but he couldn't name.

They snarled at each other. She took the first swipe, but he ran forward, pushing her claws away as he aimed for her neck. The other cats swarmed around him, pulling at him with their claws, trying to force him on the ground where he wouldn't be able to move.

Then Cloverleaf arrived. The tortoiseshell she-cat burst from the same set of ferns Lightberry had come from earlier. She yowled a battle cry and didn't hesitate to push through the crowd. Trees blocked many of the cats' ways and they filled tightly in between the trunks, many left out of the battle. Cloverleaf ignored it all and targeted the cats on her friends. First she ran for the tom and Lightberry.

She bit his back and he arched. Lightberry pulled away and clawed his chest, pushing with her back claws to get him off. The two she-cats abandoned that and pushed their way through, not hesitating to jump on top of others to get to the middle of the fight. They walked over heads and ears, stepping on backs if needed.

Duststripe wasn't paying much attention to them. He was in a more open spot and was having a hard time staying upright. He had to turn often to prevent the cats from getting a proper grip in his skin to pull him down. He couldn't even target one of them because if he did, the rest would rush forward to pull him off. He was bleeding everywhere, his back legs a mess. One of his ears stung and he knew it was torn. He let his eyes wander, looking for his son. He couldn't see anything but the cats.

"Web, get his tail," the gray mentor meowed.

The said cat quickly bit down on Duststripe's tail. He turned around and struck out, trying not to pull his tail much. Just then the silver she-cat bounded forward and both she and another can pushed him to the ground in an uncomfortable heap.

The pain quickly left and Duststripe sprang up, clawing the face of Web. The young tom yowled and pulled away.

"Hurry!"

Duststripe looked up and saw Lightberry. She stood on a squirming cat that might have been on top of Duststripe earlier. When she had his attention, she quickly jumped off, racing across others before reaching the clear forest. Duststripe copied her. Of course the cats moved when they realized what was going on, hoping to stop them from leaving. Duststripe landed on the ground a few times but he kept leaping and bounding. A few rose up to stop him, but they weren't fast enough or were hemmed in by all the other cats. Finally he reached the brown she-cat's side.

Another cat landed beside him. He turned, claws out, but it was only Frog, blood leaking down his face, a vacant look in his eye. Cloverleaf was there next and the apprentice leaned against her.

"Keep going," the GroveClan deputy growled.

Duststripe looked behind her and saw the Summerheat cats were getting organized. He didn't waste any more time and started running away. He knew the territory, so he used it. The others followed after him. He could still hear the calling from the rogue Clan behind them.

They raced through the forest and for the ridge. Duststripe wanted them there because of the steep, sandy slope down one side. It wasn't possible to climb up the shifting sand. On the other side was the bog and no cats wanted to go in there to sneak up on another cat. Duststripe certainly didn't want to go there if he could avoid it.

They ran for the ridge and reached it. The ground fell away to them on the left. Grass covered the suddenly open space and one lonely tree leaned on the top. Its roots half exposed to the open air on the slope side.

"Are we going into the bog?" Cloverleaf called from behind.

"No," he yelled back.

"Then why are we heading away from the Rockpile?"

Duststripe certainly didn't want to lead the rogues there or tell them where they were staying. It might be difficult to get back to the plains by going away from it, but then the rogues and Sullen wouldn't know what direction they really came from. Besides, Sullen might think they stayed in the bog all leafbare after all or that they were hiding there now until the danger passed. But Duststripe wanted his cats gone from the territory even if in the opposite direction.

They neared the tree. He easily hopped over the roots and around the trunk, landing on the other side on the sandy ridge line. He kept running. He heard the others land after him in quick session. Then he heard the scream.

Duststripe froze and whipped around. Lightberry almost crashed into him. Her back paws slipped on the sand, breaking the top of the ridge, and she almost fell. Duststripe didn't see her. His eyes were on where Frog had been. His son wasn't anywhere now. Cloverleaf had stopped and was looking for the apprentice. She even peered over the ridge line where a small strip of grass had been broken and leaned over. She looked up at Duststripe and shook her head. She hadn't seen him on the ground below.

"Where is he?" Duststripe meowed desperately. He didn't dare call out, not when the rouges were so close.

"Duststripe?" came a thin voice. "Cloverleaf?"

"Yes, yes we're here," Lightberry meowed. "Where are you?"

"Underneath," Frog replied. "In the roots. Help me out!"

Cloverleaf's eyes flickered. "Hurry," she meowed. She dived down the slope, catching her claws on the tree roots and pulled herself inside the gaps. Duststripe blinked and shared a glance with Lightberry. Really? They were going to hide under the ridge?

"I can see their prints!" came a call from the other side of the leaning tree. Duststripe caught his breath.

He and Lightberry hurried over. She lowered herself down the ridgeline back first. Her claws held onto the soil. Eyes wide she locked gazes with Duststripe. She probably felt as nervous as he did. What if she fell? She wouldn't be able to climb back up so where would she hide?

"I have you," Cloverleaf meowed.

Lightberry swallowed and let go. She fell.

Duststripe lunged over and could see Cloverleaf pulling Lightberry back first into the roots. Duststripe looked around, wondering if there was a better way down. He couldn't see any.

"Get down here now," Cloverleaf hissed, pushing her head back out.

Duststripe hesitated again. This time he could hear the rogue's paws pounding over the sand. They were closer. Should he just run for it and give his friends a chance below?

"Quickly," Cloverleaf hissed.

He swallowed but jumped down.

His claws were out. They just grabbed a tree root. It dangled and shook, almost making him lose his grip. He shuddered and started to pull up. Cloverleaf had her claws digging into his legs, pulling with her might to help him. Then Lightberry had his scruff in her jaws, tugging. He went head first into the roots. He could see gaps of air between the roots under his feet. His tail disappeared just as a trickle of sand poured behind him. The rogues had reached the tree.

The space between the roots was limited. They all pressed against each other, hardly able to sit comfortably and not wanting their fur to show. They balanced on the twisted roots, trying not to plunge through the gaps or get a paw stuck. It was even darker inside. He could only see glimpses of the others. Frog sat closer to the sandy slope, huddled against the side. Everywhere was the smell of soil and of blood.

He heard the pawsteps thunder above as the cats raced along the ridge. They didn't realize the four had hid below. They didn't see the signs or the slip marks. They didn't catch the fading scents.

Duststripe almost let out a breath of relief. But he wasn't sure if it would be too soon. The rogues might come back and might find them this time.

"How much longer do we have to stay in here?" Lightberry whispered. Obviously she felt they weren't quite safe yet.

"Until later tonight," Cloverleaf replied.

"We can't," Duststripe whispered. "They might realize they've lost the trail. Once they know we aren't on the ridge or went back into the forest, they'll come back here to the pawprints."

"Then still wouldn't know we're under here," Cloverleaf meowed.

"They certainly won't find anything to track below," Lightberry spoke. "No trails in the sand or misplaced leaves or crushed moss. We'll be swimming fish here."

Cloverleaf seemed doubtful. Her ears flicked and she looked upward then at her paws. Faint light reached upward into her face, making her eyes shine. She finally nodded.

"Let's move."

"How do we get down?" Frog asked.

"Just jump," Lightberry said. She got to the widest gap in the side of the roots. Then she sprang out. Duststripe watched her roll down the slope. A plumb of dust rose into the air as she fell. At the bottom she stopped and got up. Shaking out her fur, her pelt darkened.

"Hopefully they won't see that cloud," Cloverleaf meowed, peering out.

"It's dark. It's not likely," Duststripe meowed hopefully.

"I thought she was scared of falling," Frog meowed as Cloverleaf hopped out next.

Duststripe looked over his son. The vacant look was gone, but blood still dripped from a wound in his forehead. And it looked like one paw was twisted.

"She didn't want to fall before. We had to hide under here," Duststripe explained as Cloverleaf reached the bottom and got out of the way. "Now it doesn't really matter. Your turn."

Frog nodded and jumped out. When his son reached the bottom and wasn't in the way, Duststripe was next. The world spun around him and dust swirled around him. It clung to his nose and filled his mouth. When he reached the ground he was coughing, gasping for breath.

"You all right?" Lightberry meowed. She leaned closer and started to lick his face.

He nodded and answered through choking breath and tears, "We should get going."

Cloverleaf nodded. "We'll go to the Rockpile now."

They started off. Duststripe tried not to make a lot of noise, but he still couldn't help the occasional dry hack.

The sun was rising when the four reached the pile of rocks on the outskirts of the forest. They curled among the boulders.

"Won't the rogues come?" Lightberry asked tiredly. Her eyes drooped and her tail dragged. Blood was dried on her side in long stripes of red mud. The others didn't look any better. They limped or bleed from legs and ears. They were each tired and couldn't wait to rest in the soft grass.

"They'll be tired from running and searching all night too," Cloverleaf yawned. "We'll be safe for now."

There wasn't any more words as the four closed their eyes and slept.

The next thing Duststripe experienced was Cloverleaf shaking him awake.

"It's time to go," the deputy meowed. Her eyes were red rimmed, her nose muddy.

He didn't feel much better but he quickly rose. He looked up. The sun was just at sunhigh. He could have used more sleep. But Cloverleaf probably had a reason for getting them up so early. Though without enough rest, they would have to go back across the plains.

Cloverleaf moved onto Lightberry. Duststripe could see Frog curled up against the she-cat. They both looked so relaxed. They opened their eyes soon enough and with many yawns finally rose. But then it wasn't much time before Frog was looking off into the distance, a frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" Duststripe asked. His son shook his head. There wasn't any word. He'd have to find out what was wrong later because now Cloverleaf was leading them away from the Rockpile.

"So how did you know where to find us?" Duststripe asked later.

Cloverleaf glanced over her shoulder. "Hmm?"

"When we left the camp, you were there to save us."

"Oh. We saw you go into the nursery and then those two apprentices went in. When they came out we knew there would be trouble. Then you guys came out and started for the forest. Lightberry went running for that side and I quickly came after seeing the Clan get up. I can't believe they'd just attack like that. It just proves they're all Sullen's now. We aren't going to get any help from them."

"What did Lilyfern have to say?" Lightberry meowed. "Was she in the nursery?"

Duststripe nodded the memory returning. "She has kits. With another tom."

Lightberry blinked. "I'm sorry. I'm sure she would have come if they were older."

"That isn't it," Duststripe hissed. "She doesn't even love me. Apparently I was only temporary."

"And my brothers were horrible," Frog spat. The apprentice limped along, his front paw swollen and twisted.

Lightberry's ears went back. "That's awful. I'm so sorry, Duststripe. I can't believe she did that."

She leaned into him, pressing her head against his side.

"I'm sorry for you too, Frog. I can't believe your brothers hurt you like that."

"Like what?" Duststripe meowed.

For a moment there was silence.

"They had him cornered against a tree," Cloverleaf finally spoke up. "There was some insults. Then the ginger grabbed him and started ramming his head into the bark. I got there to pull him off. Frog. . . broke his back legs."

Duststripe's eyes widened and he stared at his son. Frog looked away.

"You-"

"Don't even talk to me about it," Frog hissed, turning on him, his size doubling. "He deserved it! He told on us. He doesn't. . ."

Frog lost all words and his ears went down, his eyes shining.

"At least you're all right," Lightberry left Duststripe to lick Frog's head. "I'm glad he didn't hurt you much."

Frog nodded and closed his eyes, his fur flattening now. Duststripe was still in shock about hearing how his own son had maimed another cat, but he moved closer. He was glad Frog was all right too. Though Fox was also his son, Duststripe knew Frog best. He didn't know anything about Lilyfern's ginger son at all.

"Are you mad at me?" Frog meowed quietly.

"No," Duststripe told him. "You did what you had to. I'm just glad you're still with us."

**-Line-**

Her eyes darted to the other cats in the nursery. The darkness was thick and the night nearly over, but she knew most cats would be sleeping now. It was the perfect time for this meeting. Everyone was exhausted by the fruitless search. There wasn't even a guard. No one had seen them come in and no one would see them leave.

"She has to be still alive," Lilyfern meowed.

"You didn't say that to Sullen did you?" Whitetoes asked. The gray tom shook his head and glanced to the entrance.

"No," she shook her head. "I told him what Duststripe told me. They were separated when the rogues came after him. He probably believes me."

"So what makes you think Duststripe is still with Petal?" Snowfeather meowed.

"Lightberry and Cloverleaf were here," Lilyfern hissed, her eyes wide. "That means they all have to be together."

"Even Waterdrop?" Dancingeyes demanded.

Lilyfern grew silent. "He's old. He might not have made it through leafbare."

"Petal is old too. She probably didn't make it," Snowfeather muttered.

"She had to make it," Lilyfern spat. "Duststripe said that if she was alive, she wouldn't give up on us. She'll be back."

"And what are we supposed to do about it?" Whitetoes meowed.

"Be ready for her," Lilyfern replied. "And help her when she does. I for one don't want life to stay this way. Everyone is scared to death of death. And the young are changing. There isn't even a warrior code to follow."

"What about your son?" Snowfeather demanded. "He was injured because of those outcasts."

Lilyfern looked away. Her heart was troubled. She felt devastated when the news came back Fox had broken his back legs. It was reported a small gray and brown tom had done it. She knew it had been Frog. It hurt to think one son did it to the other, but Duststripe had nothing to do with it. Though she had loved him once and didn't feel the same now, she still knew he would help them. She felt sad that he hadn't realized their true relationship. When she became mates with him, she thought he understood she didn't want to stay forever. She still had a lot of life ahead of her with other toms to see if she really loved them. She hadn't realized how much that would hurt Duststripe. Now she had to make it up to him.

"We still have to help," she defended. "It was an accident."

"That break is no accident," Dancingeyes put in. As the leaf cat she would know. "Not two breaks like that. it might even be the death of him if we can't get him to move. He might get an infection."

Lilyfern shut her eyes. She really didn't want to hear that.

"Just gather cats for me," she meowed. "Find those that resent Sullen. we need Petal back and only we can do it. Duststripe and the others won't be enough. We have to free ourselves."

Slowly the other three cats nodded. They would do as she asked. Find the other loyal Clan members. When Petal returned, she wouldn't have to be on her own. They might have lost once, but not again. Now that their hope was returning.

* * *

**Vote on my profile for who has the best warrior name.**


	21. Chapter 20: Grove Camp

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _GinnyStar, Anidori-Isilee, Chat et Chocolate, _and _Quince-Wolfblaze-Adolpha

_Yeah for them! They make me smile!_

_Well, I won't be writing as much as I hoped. The classes are tough and I have to study between them. Hopefully you can get this once a week though. On with the story._

* * *

**Chapter 20**

The four returned to GroveClan. Their wounds were mostly scabs now, but Frog still had his limp, his leg swollen. Duststripe's ear was a bit infected and he thought everything felt hot. The she-cats were mostly all right. After licking up their wounds, they healed fine, but the deeper ones were still open. Duststripe couldn't wait for Waterdrop to look over them. They stumbled through the small open area to the grove. There they found the camp.

A clearing surrounded by high gorse bushes and not too near water, it wasn't a logical place for cats to be. But the pool where StarClan had greeted them was in this grove and they felt no cat would want to cross the open space to reach the grove. They'd been safe for seasons now.

They stumbled into the clearing. Duststripe looked around, but couldn't see anyone.

"They must be hunting," Cloverleaf meowed. "Let's go to the leafcat's den."

The others nodded and walked to the Great Boulder. Inside were two chambers. One for Petal to sleep and the other for Waterdrop to store herbs. They approached the wider opening and lay down inside the cool shadows of the chamber. Duststripe must have fallen asleep because the next thing he felt was a cold something being wrapped on his ear.

He jerked away, eyes flying wide as he stared about.

"Hold still," Waterdrop growled.

Duststripe identified the silvery tom and relaxed. He kept his ear straight as the leafcat finished wrapping on the cobweb. When he was finished, the old tom shoved some crushed plant to the warrior.

"Eat this. It will sooth the infection."

Duststripe wasn't happy about that, but he licked up the mush. It tasted gross. Mouth watering, he looked around. The she-cats weren't there. But Frog was. The apprentice lay in a corner of the chamber on a mossy nest. Two sticks wrapped in cobwebs rested against his front paw. The swelling seemed down.

"Will he be all right?" Duststripe meowed.

"As long as he doesn t keep walking on it," Waterdrop replied. "Now get out, you aren't sick."

Duststripe lowered his ears and hurried from the chamber. He knew it wasn't best to argue with the leafcat. In fact Waterdrop had been a bit nicer than usual. His son was sleeping anyway and Duststripe didn't want to disturb him. His kit needed sleep.

Once out of the chamber, Duststripe looked around to see that a morning glow surrounded the small clearing. The gorse hedge had an orange color on the top, the leaves almost seemed see-through, even the grass had some dew left on it. Duststripe's paws slowly got wet as he walked through the ferns.

He spotted Cloverleaf speaking to Petalstar quietly in one edge of camp. Lightberry wasn't to be seen and he wondered if the she-cat was sleeping in the warriors' den. Mint was lying not far from Cloverleaf and Petalstar. The large, long haired light gray tom looked between them. He seemed to be adding some sort of comment. Cloverleaf glared at him and turned back to the leader.

Duststripe slowly approached. He didn't have need to hurry, even if he did wonder where everyone was. They had a day ahead of them. Of course he did wonder how long they'd let him sleep for. It seemed that half a day and a night had passed since they got to the camp. He didn't feel tired, but his legs were sore, his ear and back legs still stung.

"Good morning," Petalstar purred when she saw him.

Cloverleaf twitched and ear, only sparing him a glance. From Mint he got the same.

"We need to go before they get organized," Cloverleaf meowed. "They'll have time to change their defenses if we wait to long."

"They only have a few cats to guard all that territory," the red leader turned to her deputy. "And they can't have everyone do that if they need to hunt. Now, I'd like to hear what Duststripe has to say."

She turned to the brown warrior. He flicked an ear and sat down.

"Where is everyone else?" he meowed.

"Hunting," Petalstar answered. "Lightberry took them out on a patrol."

"She did?" He was almost surprised.

Petalstar nodded. "She felt well enough. How is Frog?"

"Waterdrop says he's fine. He just isn't supposed to walk on that leg."

"Good. What did Lilyfern have to say?"

Duststripe looked down. Grass blade poked up through his fur, poking into his paws. He could still feel a sudden ache in his chest. She had left him. He might have left her in the camp and run away that first day, but she'd cast him from her heart. He meant nothing to her. It was hard to remember or even bring up.

"I am sorry for your loss," Petalstar meowed quietly, brushing her tail down her side. "She was a good cat and she did love you enough to have Frog with you. Have the grace to let her go without anger or regret. There are always going to be she-cats Duststripe. Some who would love to stay by your side for life. Remember Lilyfern as the cat you knew and know that she has changed. You have changed too. You aren't the cat that left Tanglewood."

He looked up into her golden eyes. He wanted to believe her, but he just didn't think her words would help. What did she know? She'd never had a mate or had kits with someone. She hadn't left anyone she deeply cared for in the Clan. She didn't have a specific cat to return to. Yet she wanted him to accept what happened and move on. He didn't want to move on. He wanted Lilyfern.

"Did she tell you anything about Sullen?" Petal asked.

Duststripe slowly nodded. "He's changed the Clan. There really isn't a warrior code anymore. He has them mark the borders-"

"They moved them in," Cloverleaf meowed. "The territory isn't as large as before."

He looked to see if she'd say anything more. She dipped her head and he continued.

"And apparently he makes everyone hunt. If they don't bring back at least one piece of prey, they don't eat."

"Even the queens and elders?" Petalstar looked concerned.

"I don't think the queens hunt," he meowed, thinking. "But she was the only one inside at the moment. And there aren't any elders."

"None?" Petal looked confused.

"Clearecho and Desertfur are gone," he meowed. He glanced at Cloverleaf. He'd told her on the way back about the death of her parents. She'd grieved then but even now her head bowed. "I don't think Whitetoes is retiring yet. I don't know if he's allowed. Lilyfern didn't say much about that."

"So what does Sullen do?" Petalstar asked.

"He stays in camp according to her. He and Bark don't leave. But their deputies keep control for them. There's two: Night and Dove. They usually make sure the cats bring in the prey and watch the borders."

"What about the leafcat?"

"I didn't ask. But I assume Dancingeyes is still there. It would be foolish to stop that practice. Even the rogues have to know that. They need care after battles."

Petalstar nodded. "Is there anything else?"

Duststripe tried to remember what she'd said. Many things had been pushed to the back of his mind, overwhelmed by the fact that she'd betrayed him and then the race out of the camp afterward. He glanced at the tree leaves overhead and tried to think of other important things she'd told him. He'd had to be careful not to reveal too much back to her. She'd had her questions too after all.

"Not that I recall," he meowed. "We didn't have much time to talk."

Petalstar nodded and glanced at Mint and Cloverleaf.

"So we need to go back," Cloverleaf insisted.

"Not now," Petalstar sighed. "Don't be-"

She clamped down on whatever she had to say. Duststripe had a feeling it wouldn't have been very leader-like to offend her deputy. And it was likely Cloverleaf might. She was eager for this battle, to return and give Petalstar her rightful place. It was all she'd ever waited for this whole leafbare. The reasons she finally accepted letting in the barn cats. If Petalstar deigned her this, she would get angry. Of course Duststripe knew she wouldn't go back on her own to fight them all. She might walk off for a day or two to cool down. But she was eager and that might cause mistakes, a lack of planning.

"Why must we wait?" Cloverleaf demanded. The tortoiseshell's tail twitched, her pelt rippling.

"Waiteth long, leaves changeth and falleth to ground like feathers from dead bird," Mint spoke up.

"I am aware of how much time we have," Petalstar meowed. "Newleaf has almost ended and greenleaf comes. My cats may just refuse me if we wait too long. Perhaps they don't even want me now."  
Duststripe blinked. Why wouldn't they want their leader back? She was a lot nicer than Sullen. The yellow tom hadn't done much for the Clan except create a tyranny. They lived in fear, listening to the rogues, doing what they felt was wrong. If they wanted their freedom back, they would be overjoyed to let Petalstar lead them again. Sullen hadn't even been blessed by StarClan.

"They will," Cloverleaf growled, her tail thrashing. "You are the rightful leader. Named by Glide and StarClan. We will rescue our Clan. If they don't want us, then they can leave."

"And if we lose?" Petalstar asked.

"Returneth to GroveClan, you mayeth," Mint meowed. He sat up right now. His wide face and bright blue eyes shining.

"You don't want us here long, Mint," Petalstar shook her head. "Tide and I made our agreement. You will help us and return and we will stay in Tanglewood."

"Assumeth you win. Now doubt shadoweth like dark cloud. We changeth for you, learneth fighting and code. Season change. Not be enemies no longer. You be no trespassers on you land. This be all our land, you, mine, Tide. Not win, cometh back and liveth code you recieveth from StarClan. Far from rogue us maketh new Clan."

Petalstar smiled at him. "I am happy you've accepted us. I don't know what Tide will think about you saying such things. But I am glad to know you think of yourself as our Clanmate. It means a lot to me. But you've lead me to realize we can't give up on our Clan back in Tanglewood. They need us so they can follow the code StarClan gave us. It is a better life and they need to choose. We will help them. If we don't win, then we will help StarClan live on elsewhere. But our old Clanmates need to live free as well and have the chance."

"So we need to go back now," Cloverleaf meowed.

"We are not ready," Petalstar shook her head. "When we go we all go. I won't leave anyone behind. Frog needs to heal. You need to heal from your wounds and everyone needs to prepare. We will leave in a moon. That is final."

Cloverleaf looked down. Duststripe had a feeling when Petalstar mentioned Frog's injury she might have suddenly realized why they needed to stay. He certainly wouldn't leave his son alone in the GroveClan camp. He knew that he and Cloverleaf could go back and fight, despite their injuries, but Frog wouldn t make it. He wouldn't be able to fight effectively and that could be the death of him if a rogue got a hold of him. They weren't honor bound not to kill. And they would kill. Duststripe wondered if his former Clanmates would too.

"All right. We won't leave just yet," the deputy consented.

"Good," Petalstar nodded. "Now you two mark the borders."

"Meaneth you not three?" Mint questioned, glancing at Duststripe.

"No," Petalstar smiled. "You and Cloverleaf should go. Duststripe can stay here with me."

He watched Mint's eyes glow and he looked at Cloverleaf with a slight smile. She narrowed her eyes at him as if angry, but her tail twitched playfully. Duststripe did want to get out of the camp, but he decided it would be best to leave them alone. So he sat with Petalstar as the two left.

"What do you think about a warrior ceremony?" the red she-cat asked.

Duststripe blinked and looked over at her. "For Frog? He's hardly ready."

She shook her head. "No. For the barn cats. They are our Clanmates now. We can't let them go into this battle without names. Without protection from StarClan."

He realized how much that phrase meant now that they'd spoken with the starry ancestors. StarClan really would be on their side. And perhaps giving the barn cats names would bring them all closer together, willing to die if need be.

"I think it would be appropriate," he nodded.

"Good," she purred. "Because the day before we leave, they will be warriors."

**_-Line-_**

The night felt thick with heat. It saturated the air around them. The warriors panted. The stars wavered overhead and Duststripe's tongue felt dry. He wanted to get a drink, but even the gully was mostly dry. There was only StarClan's pool, but Duststripe didn't want to dream of them again. It was safer just to take moss from the gully when they could and hope more would be there tomorrow.  
But now tomorrow would never come. Because they were leaving GroveClan behind. They would leave the hot greenleaf day and nights for Tanglewood and the ever swampy bog. They were going home.

"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect your Clan even at the cost of your lives?" Petalstar asked. "Doeth this," came the reply from three throats, and one "I do," from the fourth.  
The ceremony was almost complete and Duststripe's eyes rested proudly on the apprentice he'd had for a short time. Lavender was to be a warrior. The night had come for them to receive their names. In the morning they would leave.

Petalstar sat near the Great Boulder, unable to climb up the tall stone. She sat proudly and for once as a true leader, she was saying the very words StarClan wanted her to. Waterdrop had received the ceremony from the dead ancestors and now Petalstar was pleased to use it.

"Then from this moment on you will be known as Mint-tail," she announced. She rested her head over the light gray tom's and he licked her shoulder. His blue eyes seemed happy. He wasn't bothered to submit to her. "My StarClan look over you."

She moved on to the next.

"From this moment on you will be known as Lavenderpelt." The process was repeated for the gray and ginger she-cat. "May StarClan look over you."

When Petalstar reached the third cat, Duzie shook her head before Petalstar could continue.

"I would like to keep my own name if you don't mind. My mother gave it to me and I plan to keep it until I die."

Tide gasped. "Choseth this, maketh not be warrior!"

"It is all right," Petalstar told him. "She can keep her name. There is no requirement she must take on a warrior's name to be a warrior. She has proven herself."

Tide tilted his head and looked to his mate. She smiled back at him. "I wish to keep it."

"Then from this moment on you will be known as Duzie," Petalstar told her. She placed her head on the tabby she-cat's Duzie licked her shoulder and Petalstar moved on.

"Do you wish to keep your name Tide?" the red she-cat asked. "You don't have to have it. I should have told you before."

Mint-tail and Lavenderpelt didn't seem to mind. Tide frown and looked thoughtful. The gray tom with dark stripe on his legs slowly nodded.

"Wisheth I for new calling. New calling for new Clan. My life hath changeth and must I so as well."

Petalstar nodded. "Then from this moment on you will be known as Risingtide."

She placed her head on top of his. He licked her shoulder, seeming grateful.

"We welcome you to . . ." for a moment she seemed confused. Duststripe wondered why. Then he realized. What Clan would they be by the end of greenleaf? GroveClan or SummerheatClan? Which one should they be named members of? A clan they had trained to join or the one to defend?

"I name you warriors of Summerheat," she finally meowed. She had a confident smile on her face.

"Mint-tail, Lavenderpelt, Duzie, Risingtide!" Cloverleaf started the cheer. Her eyes were only on one tom though. Duststripe and the others started their cheer, adding to the small Clan's voices. It soared upward to the stars.

Lightberry leaned into him and Duststripe licked her head. They were going home. This was the end and it was time to return and reclaim what was theirs.

"Normally the new warriors are to sit vigil, silently contemplating what they've achieved and what they will do for their Clan," Petal meowed when the cheering ended. Her voice was just a little hoarse.  
"However, we all need to be well rested for the journey. I ask everyone to get a good night's sleep. For tomorrow we go home."

Once again there was a cheer and all of the cat's voices roared their agreement. It was hard to sleep that night. Duststripe couldn't imagine how it must have been for the new warriors. They just have been thinking over their decision to become Clan members what it really meant for them. He was anxious to go back to Summerheat. They would finally fight for their Clan. It had driven them this far and now it would come to an end.

Lightberry sighed. Her pelt rested against his side and he could feel her movements. He nuzzled her ear but she didn't waken. At least someone wasn't worried, he thought with amusement. He was happy here in the grove. This new life wasn't bad, but he longed to be home in the familiar forest. Even if he didn't have a mate or friends there anymore. It was his life and he would be suspended with longing and wondering if this was never resolved. He finally had to fight. This would decide if he was worthy enough to live in the forest. Before he'd run when Sullen entered. He hadn't stood up, but now he was going back to reclaim it. Prove to them and the sons he didn't know that the Clan was his.

Slowly his thoughts drifted until his head drooped and he slept.

The next morning Frog awakened first. He bounded from the den and into the morning sunlight. Duststripe watched his son disappear through the bush leaves and wondered if he should ask his son if he wanted to hunt. They did need to eat before beginning the journey. He slowly eased away from Lightberry but her eyes shot open at his movement. She glanced up at him and stretched.

"Morning," she meowed quietly.

"Morning," he replied. "Would you come hunting with us?"

She nodded.

When they left the den, Risingtide was just stirring. Frog wasn't anywhere in the clearing and Duststripe wondered if his son had gone ahead. He gestured to the entrance with his tail and Lightberry smiled at him, leading the way from camp. The air was already starting to blaze with heat.

When the two returned, they had at least two mice each. They found the others sitting in the clearing, as if just waiting. Petalstar nodded to them.

Duststripe left the mice in the pile. A bird waited there. Lightberry left her catch and then took a vole with her. The other cats quickly accepted the rest and for a few moments the camp was filled with the sounds of teeth against bones.

Duststripe found Frog sitting near Cloverleaf. He didn't approach, leaving his son to choose where he would eat. When they were finished. Petalstar flicked her tail, motioning them to approach.

"We leave now," she meowed. "May StarClan guide our path."

They nodded. The cats stood up and started walking single file for the entrance.

"Journey with you, I not be," a voice suddenly spoke up.

Duststripe turned to see who had spoken.


	22. Chapter 21: Retaking Summerheat part 1

__

Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter

Thanks to reviewers who got me to 100: Chat et Chocolate_ and _GinnyStar

_You can have Frog and Risingtide plushies!_

* * *

**Chapter 21**

"Myself be sorry to informeth you," Lavenderpelt meowed. Her eyes and head were lowered. She didn't look them in the eye except for glances.

Duststripe stared at her. What was she saying?

"Stayeth here alone?" Risingtide meowed. His eyes were sad as he stared at his sister.

"Myself cannot leaveth," Lavenderpelt continued, looking at her brother now. "Battle bringeth fear into my heart like drying puddle in sun. Myself must stayeth here. The red walls be my home, and leaveth causeth pain. Needeth me here do twolegs, to chaseth away squeaking mice. Mother be wanting someone stay when all gone away."

Risingtide glanced down. "Certain of this decision?" he meowed. "Changeth not mind while we be gone."

"Knoweth not possible then," she agreed. "My paws destiny be here. My heart sorroweth for you Petalstar. Agreements be broken with my staying. Giveth back calling would be best."

"No," Petalstar shook her head. "You are a warrior. You earned it. I don't know what prompts you to stay here, but I will not force you to come. You may keep your name and keep in your heart what we've taught you. Perhaps you will be the only one to carry on our story."

Lavenderpelt's eyes shone and she nodded gratefully. "Blessings from StarClan, goeth with you always."

"Please cometh," Risingtide pleaded.

She shook her head. The ginger splotches in her gray fur glimmered as the lavender she was named for. The sun stroked down on her and Duststripe felt this was the last time he'd ever see her.

"You were a good apprentice," he told her. "Even if I couldn't always be there for you."

"Mentor be you good," she meowed, blinking at him. "Deep runneth appreciation to you."

He nodded.

Mint-tail walked to his sister and quickly rested his head against hers. "Already be missing you," he purred.

"Myself to you," she replied. She pulled away. "Goeth now. Not wisheth to slow down you fight. From rogues bring blood and bury beneath the earth their bodies."

Duststripe shivered at the thought. Killing wasn't his idea. But they might just have to.

"May the prey run for you," Petalstar meowed.

The others were silent as they turned away. They didn't know her much, else they held some grudge against her, but there was no word passed after this. He looked back once to see her staring after them.

In his mind, Duststripe could still see her standing in the sunlight, waiting for them in GroveClan. A place in time that would ever be remembered.

**_-Line-_**

"Is there a certain time you think we should strike?" Lightberry meowed.

"When they aren't in camp," Cloverleaf called from above. She sat on a tall boulder, their lookout. Her eyes were turned to the forest, making sure no cats walked the edge of the trees. They didn't want to be discovered here at the Rockpile. They'd lose even before beginning.

Time had passed. Greenleaf had entered fully, gripping the land in a world of heat. There hadn't been much water on the journey to Tanglewood. They were lucky to find prey during the day. It hid beneath the ground, seeking to escape the overpowering heat. They'd reached the forest perhaps half a moon since leaving the grove. Now evening descended around them. Tomorrow they would attack.

"She is right," Petalstar agreed. "If Sullen stays in camp a lot, we need to strike there. If we can get him out, kill him if need be, then the Clan might give up. They might let us take over like he took over."

"Liketh not, this taketh over," Risingtide grumbled. "Restore we be achieving."

"I agree," Duststripe meowed, "but what else should we call it when we take over leadership?"

Risingtide glanced upward as if seeking for guidance or else a saner companion.

"We will attack in the morning," Petalstar decided. "Everyone will be hungry. Some cats will be out to hunt and others will be checking the territory to see if somecat snuck in during the night. There will be fewer cats and they won't be returning like they would at evening."

"We could just attack at night," Frog meowed. "They wouldn't expect that. We could kill Sullen in his sleep. They'd wake up and see Petalstar on the Low Branch."

Duststripe's tail flicked. While that sounded logical and desirable, he knew it wasn't the honorable thing to do. Real warriors didn't sneak into camps to kill leaders. They fought a real fight with fair warning. After all, they didn't want to kill, they just wanted to chase the rogues out and get back their Clan. If the rogues would give up without a fight, everyone would be happy.

"We cannot restore our camp like that," Petalstar meowed. "If we did, what would prevent someone else from repeating it? My time would not be long."

Waterdrop coughed. Duststripe looked over. The leafcat's silver fur was dulled, the skin around his eyes sagging. He looked more gray than anything else. He was growing old. He probably wouldn't be allowed to fight with them.

"StarClan gave you nine lives that you might use them for the Clan," Waterdrop meowed. His voice was hoarse and thin. "They would not have you act like a rogue, but the Clan leader you are. The cats would not respect her if she were to take back the Clan by deceit."

"Understandeth now," Risingtide nodded. Suddenly the frown on his face disappeared and Duststripe realized the tom had probably been thinking along the same lines as Frog. He'd wanted this easy win.

"Do we surround the camp and burst in?" Lightberry wanted to know. "Or target certain cats?"

"Go for the rogue deputies," Cloverleaf called down. "They might want to take over after Sullen is gone."

Petalstar nodded. "We must concentrate on Sullen. Help me into camp. I will call to him. You must keep the rest of the cats away from us as we fight. If they press, fight back. But don't kill unless completely necessary. Remember, some of them are your family."

Duststripe looked down. Perhaps they were related in some way, he more than the rest of them, it was hard to think of them as family when they were after his throat. They were enemies now. Until Petalstar was restored, he couldn't let that blind him. Even if she insisted.

"Keep them away from us," Petalstar said again. "Fight who you have to, but stay together. If you separate, you will be defeated. We only have so many cats. Stay in pairs or threes. Waterdrop, I want you to find a place to stay and hide."

"I will fight," the elder insisted and flexed his claws. They looked large on his skinny frame. It would have been intimidating if Waterdrop didn't start coughing again.

Duststripe couldn't look at the leafcat. They all knew he wouldn't make it if he even tried to fight.

"Find herbs then," Petalstar meowed. "I won't have you throw away your life. After the battle, cats will need care."

They stared at each other for a short time. Waterdrop glared as if testing her will. Finally he dropped his eyes and nodded.

"Good," the red leader meowed. "Let's get some sleep. We will have a watch for the night to make sure they don't come here."

"I have first," Cloverleaf meowed.

"Second," Mint-tail echoed.

"Third," Duststripe meowed.

"Fourth," Lightberry was next.

"That is all we will need," Petalstar meowed quickly. "We need some cats well rested. And four watches will make sure everyone has enough."

Frog looked annoyed that she'd prevent him from taking a watch, but he quickly settled down. Duststripe could hear him snoring not much long afterward. He smiled and rested nearby. Tonight no one wanted to sleep pelt to pelt. It was way too hot.

**_-Line-_**

"Wake up."

Duststripe blinked. His eyes felt tired and his legs were sore from the journey.

He was nudged again. "Up."

His eyes cleared and he stared into Waterdrop's face.

"What?" he whispered. He could still see the stars overhead. It wasn't morning so they couldn't be attacking yet. Was it time for his watch? He rose and looked around. Mint-tail sat on top of the boulder now. His head drooped over, his tail flicking restlessly.

He must not have thought it would be this boring, Duststripe thought. Well, he better get up there.

He looked at Waterdrop about to thank him. Then he wondered why Waterdrop had awakened him and not Mint-tail.

"Why are you up?" he asked in confusion.

"I have a plan," Waterdrop meowed. He stifled a cough with his paw. "I need you to find poppy seeds."

"Poppy seeds?" Duststripe repeated.

"Yes," Waterdrop nodded. "In the forest. Remember the field we got the catmint from for Frog?"

Duststripe suddenly remembered. That was also the field his mentor had died in. He wasn't likely to forget that.

"What about it?" he meowed.

"Get poppy seeds from the flowers," Waterdrop told him.

"And then?"

"Just get them!"

Duststripe pulled back in shock. Mint-tail had even heard the leaf cat. He stared down at them. His ears rose and he looked between the toms.

"Be all right everything?" he called.

"Maybe," Duststripe replied. He wasn't so sure about Waterdrop now. Why would the leafcat want him to get poppy seeds? It seemed very odd. Was he starting to lose his mind?

"Everything is fine," Waterdrop growled. He coughed again. "I have a plan. Petalstar just has to agree to it."

"She can't agree if she's sleeping," Duststripe pointed out.

"I was going to wake her later. During fourth watch," the leafcat meowed, offended. "She needs sleep."

"What is this plan?" Duststripe asked.

Waterdrop's eyes flickered. "Put poppy seeds in the fresh-kill pile. The cats will eat it and get sleepy."

"There won't be a lot of prey tonight," Duststripe meowed.

"We will catch some," Waterdrop replied. "Then place them on the pile. The early cats will eat it, leave and be slow. We will have less to worry about."

Duststripe titled his head. Waterdrop seemed right in the head. The idea sounded great, but it was risky and Petalstar certainly hadn't approved.

"We have to start now," he meowed.

"So go," Waterdrop growled.

Duststripe lowered his ears and slunk away. He looked up at Mint-tail. The gray tom met his eyes. At least some one knew where he was going and what had happened.

_**-Line-**_

Frog snuck into the camp. Pieces of prey swung from his jaws. Duststripe watched anxiously. He hoped no one came out of the dens. A faint glow started on the horizon, starting to turn the sky a pale blue. The sun wasn't yet peeking through the trees, but cats would be ready to awake.

The eight cats were waiting at the edge of camp. They would see a few cats leave and then attack. For now, they just needed this plan to succeed.

Duststripe had spent most of the night tearing poppies from the ground. He returned to camp to see everyone up. Waterdrop had awakened them and told them the idea. Petalstar was relieved when she saw Duststripe returning. She scolded the leafcat.

"Someone might smell him now. They will be prepared."

"No they won't," Waterdrop defended himself. "They will be too tired and it would be chance to lead them to the field. By the time anyone notices we will already be fighting."

Petalstar frowned but couldn't say anything more. Instead she did let Cloverleaf and Lightberry go hunting. They caught food for themselves and for the camp. Not a lot, because no one would believe a lot of prey would stay out over night, but enough to tempt a cat.

Frog had been picked because he was the smallest, and Petalstar was still hoping if the cats awoke early and saw him, they might mistake him for one of the other apprentices. Of course Duststripe didn't think that would work anymore. Most of the Clan had already seen this gray and brown tom in the last battle. They would know he wasn't their own.

The brown warrior's heart was in his throat as Frog hurried back. It wasn't quite a run, but it wasn't confident strut or cowering slink. Frog knew to be wary. He respected the precarious situation he'd been placed in.

Frog left the clearing and came to them.

"This is the last batch," Waterdrop encouraged, nudging the mice and bird.

Hidden under the fur and in their bodies, poppy seeds had been crushed and buried, ready to be eaten. Duststripe hoped this plan worked; else they'd wasted half the night. Without that sleep, they wouldn't fight as skillfully as they might have, but with most of the Clan sleepy, they might win easier.

Frog carefully took the fresh-kill in his jaws, trying not to swallow any of the poppy juice. He hurried back to the pile, out of the trees and into the open. Duststripe wanted to be the one carrying that prey instead. He wanted to walk there, but when he'd volunteered to help, Frog told him no. Shocked, but respecting the warrior his son would be, Duststripe didn't go into camp.

Frog dropped the catch and ran back. The sky above brightened. The stars long since faded, now the bright blue had a golden cast to it, falling on the leaves and bark, starting a glow along the edges of the plants. Duststripe knew the cats would awaken soon.

"Get back," Duststripe whispered. "Hurry."

The bushes of the warrior's den started to shake. Frog's ears went back at the sound. His walk became a lope. His paws pressed into the grass, blades flying behind him. Just as a head poked out, Frog dived into the forest. The ferns shook and the warrior turned to look. Ears flicking Fishbelly continued to watch. When nothing happened, she turned to the fresh-kill pile. Duststripe held his breath. The others near him just as quiet. The she-cat nosed aside the top prey for the bottom layer. Duststripe's nose twitched. He'd been worried Fishbelly had smelled the poppies. Instead, the warrior had been searching for what she thought would be the warmer prey at the bottom.

Frog finally moved from the ferns, approaching the group. He lay down next to Duststripe and Lightberry. He pressed against their sides. Duststripe pushed back, reassuring his son. For now, while the heat wasn't overwhelming, they could rest so close. Lightberry licked Frog's head.

"Good job," Petalstar whispered.

Frog nodded, flicking an ear, but not looking at the leader.

As more cats came from the dens, petal spoke. "We'll wait for most to leave."

Duststripe watched bee come from the apprentice den. The dark gray tom with black stripes picked some prey and carried it to the nursery. The pile was soon gone. Many cats left camp without eating to hunt some more or to mark the borders. Duststripe hoped Waterdrop was right when he said it would be too late when they were finally scented. They might have rolled in the scentmarks, but the smell eventually wore off.

Risingtide shifted and Mint-tail sighed. Duststripe couldn't see Cloverleaf or Duzie but the two were hiding farther on. It was Petalstar's plan not to separate them. They would more likely be seen if there were more groups of them, but this way had drawbacks. They could all be ambushed and captured if spotted.

The sun rose higher. Sullen came out of the leader's den. The yellow tom cat walked slowly to the fresh-kill pile. When he didn't see anything, he waved a tail. One of the rogues approached. Nods were passed and the dark tabby tom left camp. When Sullen went back to his den and the other cats seemed to doze in the sunlight, Petalstar nodded. It was time.

"Stay, Waterdrop," she told him.

He blinked at her, stifling a cough.

She turned to her warriors. "Cloverleaf and Duststripe to the front. Mint-tail, Rising Tide to the sides. Lightberry and Frog will cover the rear."

Everyone nodded and got into position. Petalstar stood in the center of their wedge. It was her they needed to get to Sullen's den. After that, the battle would be fought any way, just as long as they protected the burrow.

They pushed from the ferns.

"Now," Petalstar hissed

Cloverleaf and Duststripe started racing. They loped forward. Duststripe's fur started to raise in excitement. His heart pounded. His eyes darted around the clearing. So far no one seemed to notice. They got closer to the burrow. Then an ear pricked up. Glazed eyes looked at them. The cats hesitated, uncertain. Some cat poked their head from the warrior den. Eyes were sharp. But the group passed them.

They reached the burrow.

"Guard this," Petalstar hissed.

The warriors nodded.

Duststripe spun around. From the corner of his eyes he saw the others do the same. He could see Frog hunkered down, teeth bared threateningly. They looked around. Duststripe could see the cats approaching now, anger in their eyes. He saw the cat from the warrior den speaking to a young looking cat. The apprentice nodded and raced from camp. Reinforcements would be on their way.

Duststripe narrowed his eyes as the cats came near. Their movements were slow and unsteady, but still they came. Even more worrying was that there were more fit cats than drowsy ones. Those cats who'd eaten the prey left earlier. The GroveClan cats were still in danger.

* * *

**Don't forget to vote on my profile for your favorite warrior name if you already haven't!**


	23. Chapter 22: Retaking Summerheat part 2

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _GinnyStar, Chat et Chocolate, Jocasta Silver, _and _Anidori-Isilee

_They can have 'Frog sitting with Cloverleaf' plushie, a two-in-one deal!_

_Sorry it took so long to write. I just had a bunch of annoying tests to study for._

* * *

**Chapter 22**

"What is going on out there?" she managed to get passed numb jaws. She felt all tingly. Her mind wasn't so fast and her eyes couldn't stay still. Her head just felt so heavy. She only wanted to close her eyes and fall asleep. Her legs felt so limp, so weightless. . . She could hardly even feel her little kits nuzzling her side.

"They're back," Bee meowed, peering out from the nursery. His head pushing aside the vines hanging in front of the rosebush's hole.

"Who?" Lilyfern meowed. It seemed important somehow, but at the same time not; because who cared who came back as long as she got some sleep?

She'd only woken up a short time ago and her son Bee brought in prey from the pile, something left over from last night she thought, but still, it had tasted sweet. She started feeling tired after that. Then sounds had started outside: running paws, yowls, and warnings. She could still hear hissing as if the camp was under attack or something.

"Those other cats," Bee answered, waving his tail. "That one you said was my father and my brother."

_Duststripe?_ She shook her head and for a moment the fog cleared.

"Who else is with them? Tell me!"

He glanced over his shoulder at her, concern in his young, dark gray face. He turned around to face her, nose twitching.

"Are you all right? You haven't been the same since I gave you that fresh kill. In fact everyone seemed a bit drowsy this morning."

"Bee!" she snarled.

He flinched and lowered his head. "There are a bunch of gray cats and two brown ones. Then a red she-cat ran into Sullen's den. Will he be all right?"

She ignored him, her mind trying to work. Red she-cat. Petal. With Duststripe. Her heart soared. He had been with the leader. He'd contacted her and now she was back. Back to reclaim the camp!  
She tried to stand, but her legs wouldn't work. The tortoiseshell queen flopped back down. The kits mewled in distress. She quickly licked them, missing their heads, her nose bumping hard into the moss at her side. She pulled away, snorting. She couldn't do this. She could barely walk and her kits needed her.

She glanced up, her son still watching her, his yellow eyes worried. His black stripped ears kept twitching as he listened to the battle outside. She knew he probably wanted to join, but she refused to let him fight his father again. This time he could get hurt. She already had one son near dead, she didn't want two more. Her mind started to drift again and she yawned.

"I'm going now," Bee started to say.

She shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts. What could she have him do again?

"Do you want to gain honor in this battle?" she asked, blinking blurrily at him.

He nodded his head eagerly.

"Then get Whitetoes, Snowfeather, and Bluelightning for me. Tell them it is time to fight for Petal."

He stared at her, then started blinking rapidly. "What?"

"You want me to do what?"

"Get those cats! We have to help Petal."

"You want me to help those t-"

"Traitors?" she questioned, eyes narrowed. "They aren't the traitors. We will be if we do nothing. It is her Clan and it is time to get it back. We need those cats to fight. Bring them back here."

"But they're not Clan," Bee meowed, his face hard.

"They are more Clan than the rogues running this farce," she growled. "Bring the real Clan home. It ends here. Now go."

He still stared at her, his eyes narrowed. He slowly turned away, ducking out of the nursery. Lilyfern sighed and watched him go. She felt so sick. She didn't know what was going on or if she could even trust him to do what she wanted. It was so disappointing when she felt that way about her own children. She lowered her head, closing her eyes as she rested on her paws. She didn't know what else to do though.

_**-Line-**_

He looked anxiously down the slope, peering out from beneath the fern bush. The long leaves draped over him, hiding his sliver pelt in shadows. He breathed harshly as he stared down at the camp. A small cluster of cats were encircled by rogues and Clan members. He could spot the distinctive pelts of Lightberry and Duststripe. He'd seen Petalstar dive below the ground for Sullen not too long ago.

His throat became dry and he started his hacking cough once more, wheezing for breath. The sickness ate at him. He knew he wouldn't live many more moons, but mostly he just wanted to live long enough to see his Clan again. To see StarClan guide them. He alone held the secrets from the ancestors. They'd started speaking to him since leafbare and he knew he had to pass on this knowledge before he died so StarClan wouldn't be lost to legend again. He needed these cats to win. Most of all though, he felt anxious for Petalstar. His foster sister meant more to him that even StarClan. He hadn't even seen that before until she rushed into camp, fully willing to give up her nine lives just to face Sullen.

When Waterdrop recovered, he opened his eyes, gazing at the camp. Duststripe and the others still stood firm, the rogue Clan testing their strength with claw swipes and darting in for short tussles. They even yowled as if ready to charge, but no side really moved to engage in battle.

Some cats looked unsteady on their paws, but most held the clear-eyed look of healthy warriors. Waterdrop knew the poppy seeds would have worked if most of the cats who ate the tainted prey had stayed in camp. He sighed in frustration. It had been a good plan. At least there weren't so many cats in the camp though. They were out patrolling the territory and probably wouldn't get back in time.

Then the old leafcat caught movement. A short, dark gray tom with black stripes hopped from the rosebush nursery. He turned his head to watch the cats near the Low Branch, but continued on, racing from the camp. He entered the forest and disappeared into the shadows of the trees. Waterdrop cursed. He stood up as if to go after the apprentice, but he realized he'd never make it in time. The young tom was already gone, on his way to gather more warriors. It seemed Sullen wouldn't be defeated so easily. They needed more time. Petalstar needed more time. Waterdrop was convinced if their leader was defeated, the rogues would surrender. He needed to find a way to stop the cats from returning.

He started walking down the slope, clinging to the edges of the clearing. Trees stood tall and straight, leaves a bright and full green, moss covering the ground. Lots of undergrowth thickly coated the forest. A few low branches and trail vines waved in the air above him. He kept going, ignoring the familiar scene, eyes on the cats. Suddenly one moved. Mint-tail lashed out, jumping on top of a black tom and the line was broken. The rogues rushed in and yowls of anger and pain started as claws bit into flesh. The cats moved from the leader's den, leaving the hole unprotected. Waterdrop tried to pick up his pace, but his joints ached. He couldn't go much faster and he still really didn't have a plan. He only felt the need to get to the leafcat den.

He stumbled to the back as another coughing fit overcame him. His head rang and he had to sit to recover. The sound of shaking leaves caught his attention and he glanced up. A dark ginger face with dark brown stripes peered out at him, blue eyes anxious. They quickly blinked as the tom pulled away.

"Now we have another problem," he muttered to himself, standing. There were more cats in the camp than he'd supposed. And they'd probably attack him next. He steadied himself as the bush started to shake again. A small hole appeared in the back and Waterdrop flexed his claws. He might be old, but he could still defend himself.

The tom didn't come back; instead a skinny she-cat pulled herself from the den. She shook her body, making twigs fall from her long brown fur. She blinked at him, a smile curling the edges of her mouth.

"Are we going to play scent-and-seek?" she purred.

"Dancingeyes," he whispered. His voice was hoarse and didn't sound much different from his usual one.

"Yes, it's me," his former apprentice meowed more serious. "What are you doing out here?"

He wasn't sure how to answer that one.

"Petalstar has return," he told her, his voice not really strong.

She blinked and slowly nodded. "Come inside, we better talk."

She turned around and entered the bushes. A large boulder formed one end of the den as a cooling shadow and the rest of the grouped bushes were filled with green light. Waterdrop looked around. Besides the dark ginger tom with dark stripes he'd seen before, there was another cat. A ginger tom with golden ears rested in the corner, legs straightened and restrained with branches and cobwebs. He opened his yellow eyes and hissed.

The other ginger tom, which Waterdrop now recognized as Dancingeye's apprentice Reed, walked over to him.

"Quiet. You'll just hurt yourself more if you struggle. You aren't going out there."

"My brother is out there," Fox growled.

"I'm sure Bee will be fine," Reed meowed, sniffing him.

"Not him. That other one. Frog. The one who did this to me. I'm going to kill him!"

"Right," Reed snorted. "When you crawl out of here, I'm sure he'll just lay down for you."

Fox growled some more, eyes on Waterdrop. "I don't know him."

"He's the senior leafcat," Dancingeyes meowed, shaking her head.

"We don't have a-"

Dancingeye's turned her back on the patient and looked at Waterdrop.

"I know they're fighting out there. We've been watching them. As long as they don't come in here, we'll be fine."

"You aren't going to help?" he questioned, sitting down.

She shook her head. "No way. I want Petal returned to her rightful place. There are a few cats who still want that. I'll just wait here to care for the wounded when this is all over."

"I want to help them," Waterdrop meowed before over come with coughing. When he was done his eyes watered.

Reed ran over with a moss ball filled with water. Waterdrop smiled at the apprentice and lowered his head.

"He's becoming a fine leafcat," Dancingeyes meowed of the dark ginger tom. Then she looked at Waterdrop. "We can't do anything I'm afraid. It's the lot of being a healer. And if Petal loses, I still need to be here for the Clan. So please, help us pass the time. Tell us what has happened since you left. I promise that we'll go out as soon as we can."  
Waterdrop lowered his head. He knew she was right, but it hurt him to think that there really wasn't anything he could do. Petalstar had been right in refusing him. He wouldn't be any help in the fight.

**_-Line-_**

Mint-tail was the first to break the line. The gray tom jumped from the group onto a white tom. Duststripe recognized him as one of the cats who'd chased them from the territory. He felt anger inside him. He yowled and raced away next, about the same time that Cloverleaf kicked out and caught a tortoiseshell she-cat on the side of her face.

The GroveClan cats suddenly broke apart. Without realizing it, they left the den unprotected, forgetting about their duty. This was a fight, no longer just a standoff.

Duststripe grabbed Ice's front leg, clawing downward. Mint-tail stood on top of the white tom's back. ICe struggled to free himself from the toms, but he only tripped under their weight. He didn't stay down long though. Mint-tail stumbled off of the enemy, trying to gain his balance. Even Duststripe's claws lost their hold. Ice rolled away from them and sprang to his feet. He lashed out at Mint-tail's hind end and the long furred gray yowled. He turned, swiping his claws at the light tom's face.

Duststripe would have continued to fight with his Clanmate, but he saw Frog from the corner of his eye. The brown and gray apprentice was pinned beneath a tortoiseshell she-cat with brown spots. Lightberry tried to nip at the she-cat's tail but was ignored. A paw came down full of claws and Frog froze, staring. Lightberry screamed and pushed with her back feet. She and the tortoiseshell went tumbling. Frog leaped up and descended on his attacker with bared teeth.

Duststripe's racing heart calmed just a bit. His son and Lightberry could handle themselves. Fortunately there weren't many cats in the camp. Duststripe and the rest could fight in pairs against the rogues.

As he scanned the area, he saw that they were winning. The rogues and former Clan members lay beneath the returned cats. Risingtide and Duzie faced off with a tabby tom, Mint-tail traded bite for bite with Night, Lightberry and Frog were still against the tortoiseshell, and Cloverleaf fought a small brown tabby tom. Duststripe could see she was winning, anger flashing in her eyes. Then he saw a cat sneaking up on them. It was that Web, a gray tom with white stripes.

Duststripe snarled and with lowered body raced over. Web wasn't expecting the attack and flinched. The tom twisted around, raising one paw high as his back legs steadied. Duststripe struck with his claws, but Web leaped straight up. Startled, Duststripe stared upward as the tom descended. Teeth instead of claws hit Duststripe. They hit his head, gouging into his ear and brow. He yowled, pulling down. Web pushed forward, his claws now out and swiping down Duststripe's brown belly. Blinded in one eye by blood, Duststripe snarled, backing away. But Web didn't stop, cold in the tom's eyes. And then he went down, flattened beneath Risingtide. The barn cat tom nodded to Duststripe.

"Victory be cometh," the light gray tom with stripes on his legs meowed. "Loeseth heart be rogues."

Duststripe nodded. Just then Web pushed upward with a cry of anger. "Get off me you rogue!"

Risingtide jumped off readily, but turned quickly on the white striped tom. Duststripe took that respite to find Cloverleaf again. She was fine, but she had her paws on the neck of that small tom. Duststripe could see him wheezing for air, eyes staring blankly into the sky. He felt horror creep down his pelt. She was killing him.

He bounded forward, knocking the deputy away. She turned on him, snarling, but when she saw who it was she blinked at him in confusion.

"What are you doing?" she growled.

"What are _you_ doing?" he challenged. "We aren't here to kill."

"He and his brother are responsible for this!" she yowled.

He flinched back and then stared at the tom. He could suddenly recognize Bark. He appeared slightly different from the last time Duststripe had ever seen the smaller tom. Gray rimmed his eyes and muzzle, his ears dropping, some teeth missing. Bark slowly started standing now, not much taller than a first moon apprentice. He wheezed for breath, eyes on the ground.

Cloverleaf quickly pinned the rogue back down. Bark stared up at her with frightened eyes.

"Not again," Duststripe told her. "If anything at all we can use him for a hostage. Why do you want to kill him so badly?"

Cloverleaf growled, baring her teeth into the tabby's face. "They tried to kill me once. I'm just returning the favor."

"I saved your life," Bark squeaked out, his voice harsh.

"Only because you were a coward and feared retribution from my Clan. Well, now it's your Clan and they won't be fighting for you or your sullen-faced brother," Cloverleaf hissed back.

Duststripe was taken back. He'd never seen her like this before. So angry, so different as if she were no longer in control.

"You are wrong," Bark growled out, struggling beneath her paws, but fear no longer in her face.

She snorted.

"This Clan cares for us," Bark got out as she increased the pressure.

"They do not. You just use them. Without them you'd still be living on your own, starving. You are still rogues no matter what."

"Only because you Clan cats forced us," he hissed.

For a moment Cloverleaf pulled back. She seemed confused. Then believing it a ploy, she loomed back over him.

"Oh really? I don't remember saying you had to be rogues or steal prey from us. It was your own choice. Just like it was your own choice to chase Petalstar from her rightful place as our leader."

"Then let me tell you a story," he meowed, eyes flashing.

Duststripe didn't think it was any time or place for a story but Cloverleaf quickly nodded her head. The camp was quiet again and when Duststripe looked up he could see his companions had beaten the rogues. The four other rogues lay or sat in a circle while Risingtide and Lightberry walked around them, keeping them in place. Mint-tail and Duzie sat nearby, watching. Frog wandered over to them, interested.

"You may tell us your story," Cloverleaf told Bark.

"My mother's name was Silvermoon," Bark meowed. He still lay on his back, looking up into the face of both Cloverleaf and Duststripe. "She belonged to a group of cats who lived and provided for each other. She mates with a rogue. The Clan found out she was pregnant. They found her mate, that rogue she took a chance on. The Clan leader didn't like that. They chased the tom from the territory, but they let our mother stay. Once we were born, they cast us from the Clan. She took us and tried to care for us.

"We walked. I remember that most. Then I remember a day we were attacked by a white she-cat just as we crossed a stream. She and a red warrior made us leave. Not long after, Silvermoon was killed by a family of foxes. My brother and I ran, but Glory, our sister, stayed. She also was killed. Not long after, Sunny and I could hear the Clan calling for us. They probably wanted to make sure we were dead. We never answered and tried to live on our own.

"It was hard, living without our mother. We didn't know how to hunt, but we tried. We stole food from others when we could. We ran from foxes and other dangers. And then my brother had an idea. Why should we be working like this, almost to the point of bare survival, when there was a Clan who was trained and had lots of prey, never fearing predators. He realized then we could live as you were. He convinced the other rogues in the area to help us take this Clan. They agreed, knowing he was right. And we could finally take our revenge against you!"

The small, brown tom, hissed at them, snapping his teeth in Cloverleaf's face. She flinched, pulling back, but even though Bark struggled, he couldn't loosen the tortoiseshell's she-cat's grip. He stopped struggling and only panted now, his yellow eyes wild.

"Revenge?" Duststripe questioned. "What have we ever done to you?"

"You were the Clan that cast our mother out!" Bark growled.

"We can't be," Cloverleaf meowed. "We don't force cats from our Clan."

"What about Crookedclaw?"

"He killed my siblings!"

"You forced Silvermoon from your Clan!" Bark exclaimed. "What other group of cats live as you do? It was you and it was time we took back our heritage!"

Duststripe knew Bark was wrong, but what he said just made him feel guilty. What other cats lived like them in a Clan?

"You called your brother Sunny?" Duststripe meowed, ears twitching.

"That is his name," Bark growled, squirming again, dust rising from the ground around him. "Not what you all call him. Sullen. No one really seems to remember anything else."

"That name," Duststripe muttered. "I know I've heard it before."

"That's great," Cloverleaf meowed. "But we don't have time to remember. Let's take this tom to the others."

Cloverleaf let Bark get up, but she gripped his scruff with her jaws, dragging him to the rogues. They sat encircled, glowering and grumbling as they shifted, waiting for what Duststripe and the others would do with them. Duststripe followed along, trying to think what was so familiar about Bark's story.

"He didn't put up much of a fight," Frog meowed. The young tom walked over from where he sat.

"He wasn't that hard to beat," Cloverleaf meowed, shoving the tom with the others. "He doesn't know how to fight."

The rogues glared at them but made to attempts to escape. Looking into their eyes, Duststripe could see the poppy seed had warm off. They weren't tired anymore.

* * *

**Well, you might recognize Bark's story from when Petalstar was telling events from her past. However, since I don't believe most of you even do I'll tell you now:**

**When Petalstar was a young warrior, she and her apprentice Stream came upon a silver queen. She and her kits were traveling across the river. Stream played with Glory while Silvermoon (they didn't know her name) got her sons. When Petal invited Silvermoon to join the Clan, the silver she-cat refused. She'd had bad experiences and felt the Clan might hate her. About a quartermoon later Petalstar found Silvermoon and Glory dead. Everyone else assumed Bark and Sunny had died as well. But it turns out they didn't and took over the Clan.**

**Bark is mistaken about Summerheat casting his mother out. He was too young to remember correctly and the story Silvermoon told them got twisted in his mind. So he's just telling the events like he and Sullen thought really happened. They wanted to get revenge for something that didn't ever really happen.**

**(The above story with Silvermoon was one I wanted to write for another story on this site, but I've been getting worse about updates and I don't really have time for this, so it as well as Lavenderpelt's story will never be written by me.)**

**On with the next chapter. . . .**


	24. Chapter 23: Retaking Summerheat part 3

**Chapter 23**

Leaves rustled. The sound of fur brushing through ferns caught his attention. The dark brown warrior spun about, his claws out, a snarl on his face. The leafcat den moved again and out came three cats. One was Waterdrop and Duststripe relaxed. The other too seemed familiar and it wasn't long before he recognized Dancingeyes and her once-young apprentice Reed. They were carrying bundles of herbs in their jaws.

"I have bad news for you," Waterdrop rasped when they came near. The three sat down before the GroveClan cats. Suddenly the old tom coughed and couldn t continue. The brown she-cat by his side gave him a sympathetic glance.

"Waterdrop saw an apprentice running away from camp," she meowed. "We're sure he went for reinforcements."

Duststripe frowned. He thought he could recall seeing a young cat, but it hadn't been so important during the heat of battle. Just winning and defeating the Clan stealers had.

"This isn't good," Cloverleaf meowed, walking over to the leafcats.

"No," Dancingeyes shook her head. Then she glanced up. "Do you mind if my apprentice looks to your wounds?"

Cloverleaf nodded. The leafcat waved her tail and the dark ginger tom walked forward with his bundle of herbs. He first went to Cloverleaf who told him to see to Lightberry. The light brown she-cat with black spots smiled at the young tom. The rogues in the circle started cleaning their own wounds, obviously not expecting help. Duststripe thought about Sullen's ruling on leafcats. Though the yellow leader had left the practice of healing cats, he'd forbidden them to have mates. And he only allowed fervent, loyal supporters to be cared for. It was a wonder no one in the Clan had died from infection.

Dancingeyes stood up and walked away from them while Waterdrop took one of the bundles and started treating the former barncats. Duststripe watched the she-cat walk away toward the nursery, a stiffness to her gait. Her tail curled behind her her ears down in irritation. Duststripe suddenly remembered Lilyfern. She'd probably hidden inside the rosebush, protecting her kits. Dancingeyes pushed through the ferns and disappeared.

"I think we should check on Petalstar," Lightberry meowed. "If she's defeated sullen, then maybe the rouges would give up."

"Don't count on his," Cloverleaf muttered. "As long as his deputies are still out there, they'll fight for what he established."

"The Clan will never let you survive," Web growled.

"Quiet," Duststripe ordered. He didn't want to hear that. It had been his Clan too before the rogues came. He sat down and started cleaning his wounds so when Reed or Waterdrop got to him they would only have to apply the herbs.

"But we should still check on her," Lightberry insisted when everyone was quiet.

Cloverleaf flicked an ear in agreement.

"I'll go," Frog meowed. He stood up and started walking to the single tree in the clearing where the Low Branch swung above the burrow in the ground. The rosebush rustled and Lilyfern came out, leaning heavily on Dancingeyes. The tortoiseshell blinked at them all, swaying a bit on her feet. She was still drowsy from the poppy seeds. She hadn't yet worked it out of her system like the fighting cats had. Frog glanced back at her but kept walking.

"Bee went for help," she meowed.

"Whose?" Lightberry demanded in the angriest voice he'd ever heard from her. "The rogues' or ours?"

"Ours," Lilyfern answered quietly.

"There have been cats dissatisfied with Sullen," Dancingeyes explained. "We've been planning a rebellion, but there was never a time to act and some cats were too scared to fight back. Petalstar returning is just the catalyst we need to take our Clan."

The cats from GloveClan blinked. Their old Clan had really planned on resisting? Duststripe was surprised. They certainly hadn't acted that way the last time. Even Lilyfern hadn't told him when she had the chance.

"Traitors," Bark growled. "Sullen should have forced you all from the Clan."

"Then he wouldn't have a Clan at all," Lilyfern meowed, turning on the leader's brother. "Only we know how to work together, trained to hunt and fight. You needed us, that's why you took Petalstar's leadership."

"Brave words," came a growl. "But we don't need you now."

Duststripe swallowed and looked around. Circling the clearing were cats. They sat half hidden beneath the ferns just outside the clearing. They sat along the slope and all the way around them. The Clan had returned. A black cat called Night, one Duststripe knew well since the tom had chased him and the other across the plains and almost killed frog twice, stepped forward. He was one of Sullen's deputies. By his side was Bee. The gray tabby with thick black stripes looked uncomfortable. Duststripe knew this didn't look like the rescue patrol Lilyfern had promised.

"Strike, Crookedclaw," Night ordered. "Check on Sullen. Everyone else, attack these outcasts. All of them."

The yellow eyes flashed and Duststripe finally realized what the rogue deputy meant. Everyone in the clearing, including leafcats and queen, were now enemies to Summerheat. The named cats started for Frog. He hadn't even made it to the burrow. The apprentice glared at them. Duststripe felt his heart enter his throat. He couldn't even make it in time to reach his son if he tried. The rest of the Clan started to move, slinking out from the shadows of the trees like an unrelenting horde of ants.

"Stop," Lilyfern, yowled, her voice a hoarse wail. "You know this isn't right. They are Clanmates. _We_ are Clanmates. Petal is here. She's returned for us. It's time to take back our Clan!"

"Silence," Night hissed, advancing on her one long step at a time.

Duststripe glanced at Cloverleaf waiting for an order. The others looked in her direction as well. Would they fight for their lives this one last time? Would they retreat? Duststripe could never imagine the tortoiseshell she-cat abandoning Petalstar. Their deputy continued to sit with her ears flat. Her eyes burned and a harsh frown was on her face. She just waited as the cats came near.

Mint-tail and Risingtide got to their feet and hissed as their own captured rogues stood up and looked ready to pounce. Reed, the leafcat apprentice, cowered beside Lightberry. His long legs shook in fear and he stared about with wide eyes. The tom hadn't been taught combat.

"Cloverleaf," Lightberry hissed, wrapping her tail around the dark ginger apprentice.

Suddenly their deputy nodded. "Now!" She stood up and leapt for Night.

The tom rose to his back feet, his claws open and waiting for her. Duststripe didn't stop to watch. He dove for the rogues after him. Suddenly it didn't matter if they'd been former Clanmates or not. This fight might be his last.

But the relationship mattered to the Summerheat cats. Ranks broke as the Clan cats turned on the true rogues. Duststripe saw his own father Whitetoes strike Pounce, a small silver tabby she-cat, in the face before racing to help Lilyfern and Dancingeyes. Not only did Whitetoes, but Snowfeather, Bluelightning, and Streampebble visibly and readily fought back.

Duststripe turned on a fluffy gray she-cat. His claws caught in her fur and she didn't feel the hit. She bit his ear. Duststripe winced but pushed forward so his shoulder and hers touched. They strained against each other, testing their strength. Duststripe twisted his head and grabbed her neck with his teeth. He forced her to the ground. She started choking but brought her back legs up, pummeling him with her claws. He didn't want to kill her or have his belly ripped open. Already he could feel the blood dripping down. He released her throat and used his claws against her head, stunning her for an instant so he could jump off.

A light brown she-cat was by his side. She clawed the gray rogue with all her might. The rogue yowled in pain and struggled to get to her feet, racing away through the cats.

"This isn't going to work," Lightberry meowed. "We're evenly matched."

Duststripe looked up. The sun was rising fully over the forest now. He could feel the heat everywhere in the air. Underneath the sun and tree leaves, the cat fought. He could see just as many defenders as there were attackers in the clearing. Just as many old Clan members were fighting the rogue tyrants and younger Clan members.

"We can't win easily," Lightberry meowed. Her yellow eyes looked sorrowful.

"StarClan will be with us," he assured her. "No matter what the outcome."

He learned over and quickly licked her head. She stared after him as he helped Fishbelly drag a black she-cat to the ground.

**_-Line-_**

Blood dripped down from his fur. The sticky warm liquid tickled his back leg and he shifted his weight, wincing as the cobwebs covering his wounds tugged them open again.

"Stop that," Waterdrop ordered. "How can I treat you if you keep wiggling like a fish?"

"I could help you hold him down," Frog offered, a grin on his face.

His father took a swipe at him, but the gray and brown apprentice ducked and laughed. He looked mostly unhurt except for some missing whiskers and a twisted paw.

"Go check on Lightberry," Duststripe told him. Duststripe could already see the light brown she-cat. She'd found her brother Crookedclaw and now the two sat side by side. They weren't talking but that didn't seem to matter to them.

Frog glanced over and nodded. He started limping over to the two cats. Duststripe hoped Lightberry wouldn't mind, but he wanted to make sure she was safe with her brother. They hadn't been together for seasons and Duststripe didn't completely trust the odd tom.

He sighed and looked around the camp. The bushes, clawed open to make more room, were nothing but flattened branches now, the leaves torn and scattered around the clearing with the fur and blood. The cats sat at opposite sides. The former rogues glared over at the reunited Clan cats. The barn cats sat with the Clan members and although Summerheat didn't know what to make of them, they got along. Golden light from the sun poured over the ruined camp, resting on three dead bodies.

Fortunate only three had died during the battle. One was Night, the other Bark, and the last Rednose. Everyone else had just given up to end the fight. The heat had become too much for most of them and their wounds made a few pass out and appear dead. Now the sun had decreased its relenting glare and slid down toward the horizon. So far since the deputies called for a truce no one had struck out, but it was likely the peace would hold. Not while they still didn't know who the real winners were and who would keep the Clan.

The only way to solve that would be to see which leader still lived, but until then, the deputies spoke. Duststripe looked for Cloverleaf. The tortoiseshell she-cat sat next to Bluelightning and Dove. They hadn't yet been taken care of and the blood dried on their pelts. They looked too angry to have even the patience to have a leafcat look after them. The three had all insisted they would be in charge of clearing up and taking care of the remaining Clan members. They were all leaders in their own right after all. Cloverleaf was still deputy of GroveClan, Bluelightning the former deputy of Summerheat, and Dove was Sullen's only living deputy.

"If either of them had won, they d be out here," Cloverleaf meowed once more. She glanced over at the burrow.

"Then maybe they both died," Bluelightning growled. His tail curled over his large paws. "Good riddance to both. They got us into this mess."

While Cloverleaf glared at the blue-gray tom Dove cleared her throat. "Perhaps they need help."

"Or maybe we should disturb them, you ever think of that?" Bluelightning snapped.

It didn't look like any of them really wanted to find out, either too nervous of disturbing Sullen and Petalstar or of finding both dead and nothing solved. Duststripe wasn't sure he wanted to look either. What would happen if Petalstar had died after all?

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. If the rogues insisted on keeping the camp, they would probably leave. There was always Grove Camp after all. Though far away, it provided what they needed to live. The brown warrior opened his eyes again and glanced around the area. He didn't know if anyone else would be willing to give up it all. They'd fought for Summerheat twice now.

"Goeth will I," Risingtide finally spoke up. "Silly be every cat by talketh and no cat be looketh. Waiteth for good news to findeth you. I say if wanteth, best findeth it by myself!"

The gray tom with stripes on his legs hurried to the burrow and before anyone could stop him, he dove under the ground. Ears pricked, everyone's attention remained on the hole. Soon he came back, blue eyes wide.

"What is it?" Cloverleaf demanded.

The deputies rose and started to approach.

"Both from them be no moveth. Be they without breath and seemeth dead to me."

"No," Cloverleaf gasped. She hurried under, pushing Risingtide to the side. The other two deputies quickly followed after. Duststripe wanted to walk forward and find out, but Waterdrop held him back.

Duststripe looked back at him.

"You'll be in the way," the gray tom rasped. But his sagging blue eyes looked very worried. His claws were out, brown with blood, and dug into the grass. Scratches covered with berry juice and leaves were on his sides. He hadn't escaped the battle and managed to hold his own, even with his age, until the rogues decided he wasn't worth even bothering with and left him. His thrashing tail aggravated one wound on his back and blood started leaking down through his fur.

Waterdrop was right of course. There was nothing they could do for now.

A cat head poked itself from the ground. In her jaws she held a red she-cats scruff. Petalstar's eyes were closed. Her lips looked torn and bloody, her ears nothing but ragged strips. The wounds on her face and belly left a trail on the grass. Cloverleaf dragged her leader away from the burrow and set her down. Duststripe could suddenly see her tail kinked at a very wrong angle.  
Risingtide backed away towards his siblings, leaving Cloverleaf to nose about like a queen with kits.

"Waterdrop," Cloverleaf yowled, not even looking for him.

The leafcat raced over, breathing hard. Duststripe was left alone. The gray tom stopped by her side, burying his nose into her throat. There was movement at the burrow and Duststripe watched as Sullen was brought up by Dove. The yellow leader didn't look much better that Petalstar. One of his front paws was broken, a few claws just dangling on by a piece of flesh. And like her, his eyes remained closed.

Duststripe looked over the yellow leader. He'd seemed so dangerous last newleaf, but now he seemed so much smaller. White frosted his muzzle and eyes, his shoulders and cheek bones jutting from old age. Duststripe wondered what Bark would have thought to say if he could see his brother now. But the small tom was one of the dead. They didn't have to worry about him any longer.

Bluelightning was the last from the underground den. He had a frown on his face and glared at any cat who started coming near the leaders. He stood nearby the she-cats watching Waterdrop.

"Not dead," Waterdrop muttered suddenly.


	25. Chapter 24: Crookedclaw

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _Anidori-Isilee, Darkness of the Eclipse, Chat et Chocolat, _and _QK Ninja.

_So sorry I haven't gotten to this story sooner. I just had some free time and was bored so I started writing it again. Not too many chapters after this before its done. Please stay._

_Summary: 6 cats flee an invaded Clan. They find help and return to fight for their home. Sullen and Petalstar have fought alone and now it is time to find out what has happened to the two leaders._

* * *

**Chapter 24**

"What?" Cloverleaf demanded, turning to him.

"Not dead," was the answer Waterdrop gave her. His voice was raspy with age and wheezed out of him between coughs. "I feel her pulse. She must have lost a life or so. Reed, bring marigold and any cobwebs or leaves you can find!"

The red she-cat lay in the clearing near the burrow, blood leaking from her wounds and dripping on the grass stalks. The silver-blue tom leafcat continued to clean the injuries, assessing just how deep they were while he waited for Reed to return with the remaining herbs. They'd be lucky if there were any left after the battle.

Dancingeyes didn't say a word as her apprentice raced to the leafcat den for the remaining supplies. Instead she stood and approached Sullen. The yellow tom continued to lay unconscious by his only deputy's feet.

Dove noticed Dancingeyes and growled. "Don't get near him you traitor. I don't want you to disrespect his body."

"Peace," the brown she-cat sighed. "I would not. It is not the leafcat's way to maim the dead or to kill. I must make sure if he is dead or alive. Perhaps he only sleeps like Petalstar."

Dove finally nodded and the white she-cat with the brown chest backed off. Dancingeyes leaned over the yellow tom, resting a paw on Sullen's belly, her nose on his neck and then in his ear where she blew softly. It flicked. He moved his legs kicking suddenly, but his eyes didn't open. Dove gasped and even the rogues grew interested. Duststripe felt queasy. Most of the rogues, though wounded, looked like they'd come over. Whether to protect or take their leader away, he wasn't sure.

"He's alive," Dancingeyes growled. She didn't sound happy.

The rogues all growled back and a few stood up. The younger leafcat's amber eyes flashed and she glared at them.

"Control them," she snapped to Dove. Her tail tip flicked. "If they attack I won't treat him."

"You shouldn't treat him anyway," Cloverleaf growled at Dancingeyes. "He deserves to die."

After everything the six run away cats had been through and the tyranny the Clan had been under during Petalstar's absence, Duststripe fully agreed. He flicked his tongue out, licking one of his paws and straightening his face fur. All the while he watched the rogues, wondering if he'd have to fight again.

"We'll let Petalstar decide on that," Dancingeyes quickly meowed. "I will try to help him as long as your rogues don't involve themselves, Dove."

The white rogue deputy finally nodded. She turned to her cats. "Do as she says. Stay where you are and don't start anything."

"Do you think she even cares about us?" one demanded.

"Once Petalstar is awake, they'll kill us. We should attack first."

The others muttered agreements.

"There will be no more killing," a voice rasped. Duststripe looked down. Petalstar had opened one golden eye. She gazed at them all. "StarClan is calling. We will be safe in their paws. Find the tree . . .need to talk. . ." Her eyes closed and she breathed deeply.

"She's mad," Bluelightning muttered, turning away. The former Clan deputy looked disgusted and annoyed.

"She's not," Waterdrop growled, poultice clinging to the fur on his chin and his paws. Reed meanwhile tried wrapping cobwebs onto the red leader's side.

"StarClan wants us to find a tree," Waterdrop continued. "They told me once before. We have to be able to communicate with them, even when we came back to Tanglewood. The pool at the grove isn't an option for us. This will be the only way we can survive."

"So now we have to find a tree," Bluelightning paced. "Great. And who will go find this thing?"

"I'll go," Duststripe meowed. He surprised even himself. He trusted Petalstar and if she said there was a tree he was meant to find, he'd do it. Although he would like to stay in the Clan to protect what they'd recovered.

Cloverleaf seemed to agree with him and didn't volunteer, but she seemed tempted.

"I'm coming!" Frog yelled. He stood up and went to his father.

"Cometh with I will," Risingtide volunteered. His brother looked at him as if confused, but said nothing as he lay on the ground. Duzie, Risingtide's mate, seemed like she might volunteer, but he gave her a look and she sighed and didn't volunteer.

"Fine, I'll join you," Bluelightning frowned. "Make sure you all know what you're doing."

"Like I'll let you Clan cats do this all," Dove glared at the cats close by. "It'll be a trap or something. Dan, Strike, go with them."

The named cats looked like they might protest but swallowed their replies and narrowed their eyes at the ground. Duststripe would have laughed. They didn't want to take orders or go on some journey that a seemingly crazy cat had sent them on. But they wouldn't show discord or refusal in front of the newly established Clan. There was still a battle going on, but one of authority, not of claws. If they found the tree or not, if Sullen or Petalstar woke up first. They might start fighting again, but for now there was a truce. Any cat, rogue or Clan, that refused an order from their deputy might make their group seem weak and invite attack.

"When do we leave?" Frog asked.

"Now," Duststripe replied.

"We've barely got treated for wounds," Bluelightning argued. "At least wait until tomorrow. The day is half gone!"

"You should leave as soon as possible," Waterdrop ordered, looking at Duststripe with his blue eyes, the skin about them sagged. "Find StarClan."

Duststripe nodded. Though he was hungry and his wounds and body ached and stung, he knew it would be best to leave while they could and find the tree before Petalstar awoke. There was an urgency about the quest. Besides, who knew how long it would take.

"Let's start," he meowed. He looked at the rogues first and flicked his tail, wondering if they'd listen to him or not. They got to their feet, though grumbling. The brown tabby tom looked at Bluelightning. He wondered if the former deputy would take his orders. Duststripe was the search patrol leader. He'd volunteered first and Waterdrop spoke directly to him. But Bluelightning had been the deputy when Petalstar was the leader of Summerheat Camp. Duststripe was used to taking orders from him. However, things were different now.

Bluelightning lowered his eyes and nodded his head with a sigh. Duststripe, relief rushing through him, started walking for the tree line. It was time to leave the clearing and enter the forest. The five other cats lined behind him, the rogues on one side, Bluelightning and Frog and Risingtide on the other. They glared at each other and there were some snarls and grumbles, whispers from the rogues. They entered the shadows of the tree and the heat from the sunhigh sun was dimmed just slightly. The air was still thick, pressing down on them. Shimmers of light slanting between the green leaves and onto moss clumps around tree roots and stumps reflected off the rising dust. The heat was almost oppressive, the height of greenleaf season. Because of the fight, most prey had hidden around the camp. It was near silence as they walked away, their paws pressing down twigs and grass, brushing through the ferns. Perhaps later they'd hunt, but Duststripe wanted to get far before darkness. Far enough so no cat would desert them.

"So where are we going?" Frog questioned. He hurried pasted Bluelightning to be by his father. It was a whispered question, but Duststripe was sure the others had heard.

"We know the territory already," Duststripe meowed. "We have to go out of it."

"The only place we don't know is the bog," Bluelightning meowed.

Duststripe lowered both his ears and gazed into the distance. "No, we won't go there. Petalstar couldn't get through there in her condition. We'll head to the deeper part of Tanglewood." It was opposite from GroveClan and where Lavenderpelt had stayed behind. He hoped the tree was there waiting for them.

"What tree are we even looking for?" Dan, a dark tom meowed, tilting his head. His shoulder was cut and starting to bleed again and his cheek was scratched below his eye. Bits of mud hung off of his fur. He hadn't taken time to clean after fighting. His companion, Strike, was a long furred black she-cat with white points.

"An unusual tree," Duststripe meowed. He really didn't know what. But a tree StarClan-marked would have to be different than others.

"So we're looking for a tree we have no idea what it looks like?" Bluelightning asked. "Brilliant!"

His sarcasm was obvious. And the rogues seemed to agree with him. Duststripe didn't think they even knew what StarClan was. Or if they did, they didn't believe there were starry ancestors. Most of the Clan cats only knew them as a term, something to call on, a place they went after they died, but they didn't see them as real cats who could talk back to them. Duststripe would have agreed if it weren't for that time at the pool in GroveClan.

"Thinketh difficult be our journey," Risingtide meowed. "But cometh all the same. Challenges be useful at times. As my sister would saith, trouble like mist might cloudeth the sun, but sun be still there and we treasure it when seeth again."

Duststripe had to smile at that. Lavenderpelt would have good analogies. But he had a feeling the rest of the patrol had no idea what the dark gray tom had said. They didn't understand his different speech pattern. Duststripe appreciated the thought. He knew StarClan was there, had a tree, and was just waiting for them to find it. Even though it would be difficult, perhaps a challenge was what they needed.

He glanced at Frog and his son just shrugged and kept walking.

"We're traveling with fools," Strike muttered. "Crazy toms and enemies."

**_-Line-_**

Lightberry sat silently while Duststripe left. She gazed after him, wishing she could travel with the tom with the thick brown stripes. But she knew she was needed at the camp to guard the rogues and protect Petalstar. Cloverleaf needed her support. And she wanted to be with her brother.

Crookedclaw sat beside her. They hadn't spoken since being reunited. She found him after the battle came to a standstill and just watch him. He set his usually vacant eyes on her and then looked away. He didn't hiss or snarl at her, just let her be with him and when they got care, spider webs and herbs for their wounds, he still sat silently.

She wasn't sure what to make of it. He'd been a rogue for many seasons. She hadn't seen him except in passing. She didn't know why he'd joined Sullen's group and attacked the Clan he formerly belonged to. She wanted to talk to him about it, but she was scared.

Was he that tom she remembered Glide, the leader before Petalstar, casting out? Or was he that kit she played with? Had time healed that accident that left him vacant minded and odd? Or was he still that way? She didn't really want to know, just wanted to sit by his side and imagine he was all right. That he felt no ill will against her and actually wanted her to be with him. Did he even remember her or had his damaged mind forgotten her?

Duststripe disappeared into the tree shadows and the patrol with them. Frog looked only once back and smiled at her before hurrying after. She sighed again. She turned and looked at her brother.  
He was a dark, dusky ginger tom. And his front claws were twisted. They might have been the reason for his name, but Lightberry always felt Brownfur (Crookedclaw's mentor), had been insulting him and his off balance mind.

"You-you fought well," she meowed, her voice wavering. That sentence sounded neutral enough. He couldn't take this the wrong way. Not like 'are you well' or 'how have you been' would have.  
He didn't reply. He just sat, staring at the rogues on the other side of camp. She heard him sigh and watched as he lay his head on his front paws.

He wouldn't even look at her. Her heart lurched. He, he. . .was still unwell. Her normal brother, like when he was a kit, would have been excitedly telling her who he'd fought and how. Instead, he was still the damaged cat, watching things she couldn't see. She wondered how he'd even joined Sullen's group. She needed more time to ask him.

"Streampebble, help me move Petalstar into the shade," Cloverleaf called.

Lightberry watched the deputy for a moment. The tortoiseshell she-cat and Streampebble gently dragged the red leader to the tree in the clearing that made up the Low Branch. She dug through the grass to the cooler dirt below, making a pit between the roots. Dove did the same for Sullen, just on the other side of the tree.

"Do you want to go hunting?" Lightberry turned to her brother.

His yellow eyes stared through her, the pupils so small, the slits almost seemed to disappear. Finally he nodded. She smiled a sad smile and they went to the forest edge. Cloverleaf spotted them and asked what they were doing. When Lightberry told her, the deputy quickly sent out other cats in a hunting patrol. Dove, not wanting to be outdone, sent her own cats to bring back prey. The cats left behind, huddled in the bushes' shade, glaring at their enemies.

Lightberry and Crookedclaw continued walking. She could hear the other hunters, but tried to ignore them. She wanted to be alone with him. She looked at him and his narrow back. He was clean, no matted fur or horrible scars. His wounds from the recent battle were covered with a thin film of poultice, but not deep. He almost shined in the sun light that streamed through the leaves. The two approached a fallen log, she could hear the insects scratching and buzzing inside. She couldn't stand this silence. She wanted to know, wanted to hear him speak.

The light brown she-cat with the black spots stopped. Her brother flicked and ear her way and paused, slowly turning his head, but his eyes were even slower, as if scanning the undergrowth. He didn't ask what was wrong. Maybe he thought she had found prey and wasn't going to mess up her kill.

"Brother," she meowed.

His pupils widened from their slits and for the first time he actually seemed to see her.

"Why. Why were you fighting with the rogues? Against your Clan?"

"It is not my Clan." And he turned away, eyes locked onto a black beetle crawling up the rough edges of the log.

Lightberry blinked. His voice was the same. Same as she remembered, almost vacant, almost emotionless. As if he wasn't paying attention and didn't care what happened.

"Talk to me," she begged. "Don't just sit here, staring into the distance. Tell me why!"

He sighed again and blinked looking at her, glancing up and down her tense body. She felt her frustration sharpen, then trickle away to nervousness. What did she think she was doing? He was bigger than her, crazier than her, he could really hurt her if he got angry. Her paws shook, but she continued to glare at him anyway.

"They didn't care," he meowed, his eyes seemed to stare through her once more, suddenly darting side to side as if watching a squirrel. She flicked her ears, but didn't hear anything.

"Care about what?"

"Who I was, what I'd done. They needed help. They wanted me. This Clan. This Clan cast me out. What do I care for Summerheat?"

"We're your family," she meowed quietly, but feeling the truth of what he said.

"My family is dead."

"I'm still here."

"You were gone." His voice quieted, his eyes finally stopped moving. When he looked back at her, his ears were folded as if he were scared. "I couldn't find you. You weren't here anymore. I thought you'd died in the first attack. Night said he'd chased a group of cats from the territory, and Sullen sent cats after that group. You never came back."

"I did. I'm here now," she murmured. Had he missed her? Why? They hadn't seen each other for seasons. Had he cared? "Did you join Sullen because he was taking over the Clan?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Um," Did that mean. . . "You wanted to be a part of our Clan again?"

Again he nodded. He looked her in the eye this time. The vacant stare gone.

"I didn't join Sullen to get revenge. I did it so I could be with you again."

"Crookedclaw. . ."

"I've been watching you. All this time. I made sure you were okay, that you were learning. Light. . . I know I'm different."

She held her breath, staring at him.

"I know something isn't right. I always knew it. But, I've been trying to get better, just sometimes, I don't know who I am."

"Do you know me?" she asked.

He nodded. "You're my sister. Light."

"Lightberry," she corrected. "We're warriors."

"I know."

"Do you still want to be part of our Clan?" she asked.

"I don't think it will work," he replied. "When Petalfur gets better, she'll make all the rogues leave."

"Petalstar," she corrected him again. "And I don't think so. Things are different. We just returned from another place and we all learned something. So I think she'll let you stay."

"But. . ."

"What?"

"They, the Clan, they won't let me stay. Glide will get rid of me again."

"Glide is dead. Has been for awhile. Petalstar is our leader, you know that."

His eyes seemed vacant, but he frowned, narrowing them and finally nodded. "I do. I'm sorry. I just forgot again."

"It's all right," she murmured, brushing her tail on his front paws. He watched her brown tail flick, his own responding with jerky movements.

"I hate this," he snarled. His eyes burned. "I hate not knowing if what I see is from today or the past. It's all a blur. I know I'm different. I'm getting better though. But sometimes I forget."

She didn't remind him he'd said that once already.

"Who am I Light? Really, who am I?"

She looked at him. His eyes were searching her. Lucid, begging for answers.

"You are Crook-" she choked on the name. She couldn't say it. It wasn't right. She settled on what seemed was. "You're Dusk, my brother."

He smiled at her. His kit name seemed to sooth him.

"There's something I want to know," Lightberry started, clearing her throat.

He looked at her, tilting his head like a kit.

"Ah, what did happen to . . .to, um, Cloverleaf's siblings?"

He looked at her blankly now. Confusion in his eyes.

"The two kits that went to the bog," she finally explained. "The ones the Clan say, you, killed." She whispered the last word. She just had to know.

He turned away from her. "I don't know."

"Can't you remember?"

"I don't know what I remember. But I know they say I did."

"Did you?"

He lowered his head and rubbed one paw over his face and ear. "I don't know. I remember voices, and it was wet. But I don't know. Everything is blurry."

"Did you see them?" she pressed.

He frowned, the ear he'd rubbed kinked in a painful expression. "I-I might have. I don't know. I might have just left them."

"But you didn't take them there did you?"

His eyes narrowed and he slowly shook his head.

Lightberry sighed. "I think they must have followed you. You liked to be near the nursery then and kits seem to wander away a lot." They were such an example. "You probably saw them in the bog with you, but you weren't, um, thinking straight and were unable to help them. I don't think you're to blame at all."

He looked up at her. "But the others believe. They hate me. I've had to put up with it ever since Sullen got the Clan."

"Did you ever tell them you weren't responsible?"

"I never tried. There wasn't a reason to. They would never believe me. And I'm strange enough that I make them uneasy."

"You're acting just fine," she told him. He really was. She thought he'd be worse. Before he couldn't carry on a conversation for very long. Now he was concentrating.

"Thanks," he meowed. "I'm glad you're back."

She nudged her head against his. "So, where do you want to hunt?"

* * *

**Yep, I suppose I could have left out this whole story with Crookedclaw and Lightberry. More than likely everyone forgot their story. It's a continuation from Chapters 7 and 8. But the section had be be put in because Crookedclaw had to rejoin the Clan, but with good reasons. Everyone thinks he's a crazy kit murder. So, hopefully this disproves that idea.**


	26. Chapter 25: Discord in the Forest

_(Okay, this is really weird, I thought I'd posted this chapter with the other one.)_

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewers: _Q K Ninja, Smokefrost_, and _Jocasta Silver

_So, I'm trying not to rush through this story like I did with Unknowns Skies Three's ending. I just wanted that one over with. But this was a good story from the start, so I want to end it right. It might take some time, but hopefully it will be a good one._

_Back to the Moontree patrol!_

* * *

**Chapter 24**

The night was warm. Thick air surrounded them and the group slept far away from each other. Chirping crickets sang in the darkness and above them the stars shimmered on through the still leaves. A scent of water hung near a tree stump, and fresh moss everywhere. The faintest hint of blood. Feathers and fur surrounded the six cats, the remnants of their bountiful meal.

Duststripe sighed and yawned. The tabby tom sat by the stump, the uneven ground was distorted by the roots, and it was uncomfortable enough to prevent him from sleeping. He didn't mind. He was the cat on watch. He scanned the six cats. The two rogues slept nearby each other, but farther away from the others, still distrusting. Bluelightning, Frog, and Risingtide were closer, but Bluelightning had his back to the other two, as if he wasn't part of their group at all.

It had been a day since they left Summerheat. Fortunately, no one had run back, and their wounds were healing well enough, although paws and joints swelled and ached if they walked too long. They'd circled about the territory, searching for the StarClan tree. Duststripe hoped they didn't wander around too much longer, he wanted to go back and see how his Clan was. If the rogues had rebelled again and if Sullen or Petalstar awoke. When he went back to camp, what would he return to?

He yawned again, blinking his eyes and shifting on the ground, his tail twitching slowly. He wondered how much longer until Bluelightning had watch. No one let the rogues be left awake alone. They didn't offer to either. They seemed perfectly fine with letting the Clan cats lose out on sleep.

The tom lowered his head, not realizing it. He was just. . .so. . .tired.

_**-Line-**_

A scream leaden with pain. His ear hairs trembled and his heart lurched as he leapt to his feet. The darkness of night was barely sliced by the false light blue of dawn. It would be a long time for the sun to rise and for cats to fully awaken. A cat screamed again and Duststripe saw the rusty red fur of a fox. The glinting sharp teeth were buried in the foreleg of Strike, the she-cat rogue. She twisted and clawed with her free claws. This prevented the vixen from biting Strike's head or neck, which must have been the original target, except Strike had awakened and dodged at the last second.

The vixen shook her head viscously, rattling Strike until the black she-cat lost her balance crashing to the ground, sending leaves flying.

This only happened in an instant, Duststripe barely saw Strike hit the ground before he leapt forward, claws out, a snarl on his large face. He hit the vixen's side, nearly at the same time Risingtide, Bluelightning, and Dan attacked. The fox yelped in surprise and side-stepped, but did not release her prey, dragging Strike across the ground. The she-cat could not recover, and yelled in wordless terror and pain, her high-pitched voice grating on the ears. Duststripe tried to aim for the back of the fox's neck, but Bluelightning got in his way, jumping onto the fluffy rusty-colored back. Risingtide and Dan were worrying the back legs of the vixen, digging in deeply with their claws as they hissed insults.

Duststripe was interrupted from joining Bluelightning when he saw a shape hurdling from the side. Frog leapt over strike, aiming for the vixen's eyes. This time the vixen barked in surprise, ducking away and shaking her head. Strike fell to the ground limply. Frog was shaken off, but landed on his paws nearby.

Duststripe wanted to yell at his son. A frontal attack was stupid and dangerous. If the vixen's mouth wasn't full, she could have snapped Frog in two. Instead, Duststripe ran to Strike's side and started dragging the she-cat away, leaving the others to battle the bucking, twisting vixen. Frog helped his father move Strike to the stump where Duststripe tucked his claws in and swatted his apprentice's head. Frog looked stunned and confused, but was saved a lecture when another fox approached.

He only knew it was there because of the scent. The battle was too loud to hear its approach. But the male fox, a dog-fox, appeared on the other side of the vixen, huddling under some ferns. The vixen's mate saw the attack and snarled, darting low over the fallen leaves and aiming for Risingtide. The gray tom spotted the threat and quickly jumped away, running for a tree. That gave the vixen time to turn, snapping at Dan. Bluelightning lost his hold on her back and fell to the ground on his side where the dog-fox opened his jaws and snapped them shut on the silver tom's neck. He didn't have time to utter a sound.

Yowling a challenge, Duststripe ran at them, but was not in time to save his Clanmate. He reached them too late. The tabby tom's eyes widened and he hissed in anger, dragging his claws down the dog-fox's ear. Frog was at his side, clawing at the golden eyes. The fox snarled and aimed for frog with its scared muzzle, but Duststripe lowered his head and shoulder, ramming into the red creature's chest. The jaws closed on empty air.

Frog darted low and came up beneath the fox, clawing at the white belly, before running out again and biting the fluffy tail. The fox tried to turn, snarling, but Duststripe rose on his back feet, slashing with his front claws as fast as he could, as much as he could. The fox closed its eyes, whimpering and backing away. Frog yanked the tail again, now on his back, kicking hard until fur flew.

The fox gave up, barking a command. He fled, the vixen following him into the ferns, chased by Dan and Risingtide. The gray tom must have returned after escaping the dog-fox. The four cats lined up, snarling and hissing after the fleeing pair. Only when the sounds of crashing and running faded away did they calm down.

Dan ran to Strike. The she-cat was still lying by the stump, her eyes open. Her front paw and leg were bloody, the puncture marks deep to the bone. The two rogues spoke while the Clan cats circled around Bluelightning. Duststripe looked down in shock. It had been so quick. The tom wasn't even snarling, or braced, or terrified, just staring, his head too far back and twisted to the side, covered in dark red.

"Who was on watch?" Dan demanded. He crouched by strike, eyes glaring at them all.

"I-I was," Duststripe admitted, his voice wavering like a guilty apprentice. "I must have fallen asleep."

Risingtide and Frog looked at Duststripe in shock.

Dan stalked over, his back bristling, a small trickle of fresh blood parting the fur on his shoulder. The older wounds where scabbed over, but some had reopened.

The dark ginger tabby tom snarled in Duststripe's face. "You idiot! This is all your fault!"

Duststripe's ears lowered and his shoulder hunched. A sick feeling bubbled in his gut. He knew it was true. Bluelightning was dead because of him.

"We can't go on," Dan hissed, turning away abruptly. "She's lamed. We have to go back."

"We don't have time to go back to camp," Duststripe meowed quietly.

Dan whirled back. "This mission is foolish and dangerous. We have to go back. She needs a leafcat."

"I don't think she can walk all the way back," Frog interrupted, leaning to look at Strike. The black she-cat said nothing, cleaning her wound, a worried look on her face.

"We don't have enough cats to take her," Duststripe meowed. If he sent Dan and Risingtide or Frog back, only two cats would be left searching for the Moontree. It was more dangerous as more animals could attack them.

"And that's your fault," Dan spat.

Duststripe sighed. Why had he fallen asleep? He should have woken up another cat.

"Bind her leg," he meowed. "It might be broken."

"Finally some sense," the dark tabby tom muttered. He sniffed the she-cat's head, gave her a quick lick, and went looking for cobwebs.

"Frog, go with him," Duststripe flicked his tail. The gray and brown apprentice ran after.

"We goeth not back, surely?" Risingtide asked.

Duststripe hunched over again. He had to decided. But he knew his mind was already made up.

"No. She - We're all going on. We can't leave her and I can't just send Dan with her. Who knows what they'll tell the others. That we died, that we're mouse-brains wandering in lunacy. But not only that, they'd be too vulnerable. Another fox or a badger might get them, attracted to her weakness."

"Danger to us if bringeth along."

He nodded. "But two of us can't search for the tree safely either. They come."

Risingtide nodded. He wasn't angry or disgusted. Duststripe half thought the gray tom would be, disappointed that his patrol leader was being so heartless to an injured she-cat.

"I not feeleth pity for these rogues," Risingtide meowed. "Not careth whether healeth or not. To me, findeth tree most important right now. What happened is over. Misseth Bluelightning little, knew him not, but I be saddened by warrior's loss." He slid his tail down Duststripe's side and walked to Strike as Dan and Frog came back with the spider webs.

"I don't know what herbs to use," Dan told her. "I hope it doesn't swell."

"I hope it's not broken," she replied.

Duststripe didn't want to tell Dan just yet about his decision. He wasn't looking forward to the argument. Instead the tabby turned away and went to dig a hole. No vigil for Bluelightning. They had no time to spare, already slowed by one injured cat.

"I'm sorry for all this," he whispered to the dead tom. "Sorry that this isn't a respectful burial. And I'm sorry that I wasn't awake when the foxes attacked. Please. . . forgive me."

**_-Line-_**

"This is a weird tree," Frog pointed to the low knobby form with his short tail. The tree was low and squat, formed from two trees, but blocked by the branches above that forced it to grow in a curve. Yes, it was different, but somehow it wasn't mystic enough.

Strike limped behind, panting heavily, leaning against Dan. The tom rogue glared at Duststripe's back so hard, he thought there might be ants crawling through his pelt. He still felt guilty and it was almost sunhigh. He stayed with the pair, walking slowly while Risingtide and Frog scouted ahead. They'd race back when one or the other saw something, while the other waited for the patrol to catch up.

The patrol's wandering path was now approaching the large field. Though they were a long way out of Clan territory, the field was so long the cats couldn't see an end to it. No cat had been brave enough to walk to the very edge. Some claimed a twolegplace would be there, others said a great lake, and the others just didn't care.

"Go tell Risingtide we're going to rest," Duststripe ordered Frog, uninterested in this strange tree. "If you want you can go to the field. Come back if you find something."

Frog nodded and hurried off, while Duststripe though how silly his command sounded. _'Come back if you find something.'_Did that mean Frog couldn't come back ever if he didn't see anything? Who even took him seriously as a patrol leader? He made such mouse-brained decisions.

Dan lowered Strike to the ground beneath a low holly bush for some shade against the hot sun. The she-cat looked miserable. Her eyes watered, her long fur snagged with twigs and dirt. Her white, injured leg had even started swelling. She stretched her leg out painfully and tried to lick it around the covering of webs.

Duststripe turned away, and sat near a beech tree's roots.

"I'm going to the stream for water," Dan meowed. "Make sure nothing happens this time."

He stared hard at Duststripe, nostrils flaring and then stalked away. When he returned, sometime later, he had a moss ball dripping water onto his chest, leaving a trail of damp drops behind him. Duststripe felt his own parched throat and wished he could leave and get a drink too. But Strike had to be in pain. What right did he have to ease his own discomfort?

Strike gratefully accepted the moss ball and drank greedily.

Frog came racing back, his fur on end, ears and whiskers twitching. Risingtide was not far behind the apprentice, an odd look in his blue eyes.

"You really need to see this tree," Frog meowed, stopping in front of his father. "It's like-" He shook his head as if words failed him.

"It be different," Risingtide confirmed.

Duststripe could feel their excitement burning into his blood. He stood up and nodded. Frog quickly ran off, exuberant as ever. Risingtide and Duststripe followed, a little slower, but no less excited. Dan eased Strike to her feet and the pair stumbled after through the trees and the uneven ground.

Instead of heading for the field, Frog was leading the patrol back into the deeper part of the forest. Duststripe looked at Risingtide to make sure and the gray tom with the stripped legs nodded. When they came upon the tree, there was no mistaking it. White with silver strips running through the bark, Duststripe first thought it was a very wide tree. But when they got closer, he realized it was three similar trees, twisted together. There was a small gap at the very bottom where the three met. Frog was sniffing around it, circling behind the tree.

"Look!" the apprentice yelled. "The roots! They're above the ground!"

That wasn't unusual. Many roots had became uncovered over time, but this was different. A small gap all the way underneath revealed the large roots. They formed some sort of dome beneath the large combined tree. Duststripe leaned down and stared beneath. He could see his son's legs and the light streaming through. It really was unusual.

"How do we speak to StarClan now?" Duststripe wondered aloud as he straightened.

"Like this probably," Frog meowed, and leapt through the space where the trees met. He came out the other end, just missing Duststripe. Instead of landing on his feet, the gray and brown apprentice fell on his side, his head lolling. His eyes were closed tightly. It looked as if he'd died.


	27. Chapter 26: The Moontree

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

_Thanks to reviewer: _Smokefrost_ and _lilyheart the medcat of pond and ThunderClan

_Hopefully you have time to read this. Sorry for taking so long. I didn't think the story would take a year and a half to write. But finally it is over. My thanks to everyone in the past who has read and reviewed._

* * *

**Chapter 26**

"Frog?" He nudged the apprentice. The grey and brown head lolled. Had his son broken his neck leaping through the gap in the tree? He pressed his nose into his son's chest. There was no heartbeat. Was he just imagining the heat leaking away from his son? Terror gripped Duststripe's heart. No, this couldn't be happening. He couldn't lose Frog, not now when they finally took back the Clan and could live a normal life!

Duststripe wasn't paying attention to anyone but his son and didn't see Dan and the other rogue catch up to them. They pushed between two bushes, moving toward the warriors.

"Now what's the matter?" Dan asked. Strike limped as she leaned against him. She was panting, the blood seeping through the spider web bandage, dripping onto the dusty, leaf littered ground. Dan helped her rest against the twisted tree and came toward Duststripe and Risingtide. He paused just before them, staring in puzzlement at the limp Frog. The tabby tom looked as though he would ask a question, but no one was paying attention to him so he closed his mouth and twitched his tail.

Something was really wrong, Duststripe thought. He hadn't seen his son get injured. He'd just suddenly collapsed and landed wrong. What had that tree done? He looked up at the two white trunks twisting together, a small gap between them right before they touched. Then there were the raised roots, a small band of light underneath the white-barked plant. He suddenly spotted Strike leaning against it, her eyes closed as if she were sleeping. He shook his head. Trees didn't kill cats. Typically. So what had happened? He lowered his head, gazing at his still son.

Wait. Why wasn't Strike panting anymore? His head jerked up and he stared at the black she-cat with the white legs. Dan noticed the patrol leader's reaction and looked at his companion.

"Strike?" He raced back over, nuzzling her cheek. "What's wrong? What happened? Please don't be dead!"

Risingtide and Duststripe looked at each other, the gray cat silent, his blue eyes confused. Duststripe felt cold, his legs trembling. Who would fall next? What mysterious thing was taking their lives? He leaned down, licking Frog's forehead, hoping somehow his son was just playing with him, but there was no motion from his son, no heartbeat at all, nothing. Then the gray ear twitched, flicking rapidly, the chest heaving, the blue eyes sprang open.

"It was them . . ." Frog breathed, staring distantly. "StarClan."

Duststripe's ears rose, but he didn't hesitate to lick his son thoroughly. His son was alive! The tree really hadn't killed him. Did he say StarClan?

"They're in the tree?" Risingtide asked, tail high as he stood.

Frog slowly nodded. "They just wanted us to know this was the tree."

Risingtide turned to face the white trunks, tilting his head as if wondering how a Clan of cats could live in a tree and still remain invisible.

"Just go under or touch it and lay down," Frog told him.

Risingtide glanced at Duststripe and then eagerly went forward. The former barn cat had not seen StarClan before. Had known nothing of them until last leaf-fall, but had always been interested in how Petalstar had gotten nine lives. Risingtide pushed his nose against the bark, crouching by the roots. He fell to his side like a stone falling down a hillside. Duststripe couldn't help but flinch, the hairs on his back standing on end.

"It's your fault! You killed her!" Dan yowled.

Duststripe whirled to face the other tabby. Dan was stalking over, tail lashing, growling low in his throat.

"I didn't!" Duststripe protested, springing to his feet. "She's just fine. StarClan-"

"You call that fine? She's not breathing!" The rogue snarled and spat, moving closer, his claws shaking with how tense he was.

Frog backed away as the rogue neared. "Hey, wait. . ."

Dan ignored the apprentice and started to spring for Duststripe. Duststripe knew he couldn't talk sense to the rogue. He was convinced the she-cat was dead. Duststripe slid his claws out and jumped forward to meet the attack. His large size was enough to knock Dan onto his back. The other tom kicked hard, digging into Duststripe's belly. He winced and clawed Dan's chest, slowly raising the sharp tips to the white throat. He tried to pin Dan's legs down with his own, but the furious power of Dan kept coming.

Duststripe kicked, catching one of Dan's legs, drawing blood. He could feel the warmth dripping down onto him. Dan snarled and started snapping, grabbing Duststripe's forepaw with his teeth, biting hard and twisting. It was almost enough to break bone. Duststripe yowled and kicked hard, flipping, pulling hard to release his paw. Dan slipped and was almost thrown to his back. He jumped away to stay on his feet and Duststripe rose to his, keeping his injured paw raised.

"Dan, Dan, please stop!" The high-pitched voice felt like claws raking down Duststripe's side. He turned to see Strike loping towards them. Dan seemed just as stunned. His mouth opened and his claws came in. Strike was by his side, nudging him away from Duststripe.

"Your leg," Dan protested, staring at her.

The spider web bandage, soaked in blood was starting to fall off of her leg. She stared down at it then smiled at Dan.

"They fixed it. They healed my leg."

"What? Who did what?"

"The cats with stars in their fur," she told him. "They took me to them. I spoke with StarClan!" She turned to Duststripe and looked at him her eyes suddenly wide in awe. "They were real all along!"

"Truth this be," Risingtide meowed, getting to his feet, shaking off the twigs and other things that clung to his fur. He nodded to Duststripe. "Doubted did I, but my error hath been corrected."

Dan stared between the two, his eyes wide, his tail suddenly puffy. "What are you two talking about? You were dead, you can't be alive now!"

"I was never dead," Strike told him, nudging him softly with her head. "I just spoke to the ancestors of the Clan!"

"No, no. It isn't possible. When you're dead, you're dead."

"They fixed my leg."

Dan just stared at her and started backing away. Duststripe wondered how long it would take for the rogue to start running away. Not long in fact. Strike started to walk toward him, but he turned around, quickly disappearing into the undergrowth. He hoped the rogue didn't get lost or meet any foxes. Whether or not he made it back to camp Duststripe really wasn't sure he cared- torn between duty and the fact he really didn't like Dan.

The black she-cat sighed and lowered her head. She wasn't running after him which did surprise Duststripe. He thought they'd stick together. Eventually she looked at Duststripe. Her yellow eyes oddly soft. That was different, because he'd only ever seen her when she wanted to harm him or thought he was crazy.

"Bluelightning had a message for you," she meowed.

His ears went back and he had a hard time not hunching over. It was his fault the tom had been killed by those foxes. He should have stayed awake.

"He says he forgives you. And he doesn't care where he's buried as long as everyone knows he fought valiantly and died as a warrior of the Clan."

Duststripe slowly raised his head. "That's all he says? He really wasn't angry?"

She scratched her ear and was silent for a moment longer. "He did say you have a lot more to learn and to not make the mistake again. If you did, then he'd be very angry with you. Even some cat called Streaminglight said she'd taught you better."

Again he hunched over. So he'd failed his mentor too. But at least she'd cared enough to say something.

"They're right. I will- I won't fall asleep when I have a duty. No one else will be in danger again."

Strike flicked an ear, showing she really didn't care. She just gave him the message required of her.

"Goeth back to camp?"

Duststripe nodded to Risingtide. "Yes. Petalstar needs to know about the tree. She has to meet with StarClan here. Strike? Are you coming with us or will you look for Dan?"

"If he wants to come back he will. He needs time. I'll go with you. If you'll have me."

She actually seemed softer than before. She didn't seem to care that they were Clan cats and she was one of the rogues that had invaded the camp so long ago. Duststripe wondered if that should bother him, but as long as she wasn't going to attack them again he figured he could put up with her. He glanced at the others and flicked his tail. It was time to go home.

"Duststripe?" Frog asked, lifting his pink nose. "Aren't you going to speak with StarClan too?"

The tabby tom was the only one of the small group who hadn't seen them today. But he could remember the last when Petalstar got her nine lives. And then the time before that when they'd frightened him in the heavy mist. The fur on his back rose. No, he really didn't want to speak with them. He'd enough of the spirits.

**_-Line-_**

The camp seemed almost normal. The freshkill pile in front of the Low Branch was full. A few cats lay about on the yellowing grass, resting in the cool shadows as they hid from the hot sun. The apprentices were out of camp with their mentors. The patrol had crossed the fresh scentmarkers coming back. It wasn't until he saw who was lying around camp that he realized not all was perfect. The rogues.

Hesitatant, he paused before entering the clearing. Where were his Clanmates? The rogues hadn't chased them out again? They hadn't taken over? He searched with his eyes, hoping for a familiar face.

"Strike!"

He flinched. But the black she-cat sprang forward toward Dove, a white she-cat with a brown chest. She'd been one of Sullen's deputies.

"We found the tree," Strike meowed. She almost danced on her toes, oddly happy and light on her feet.

Dove seemed surprised, pulling back warily. "You haven't found catmint, have you?"

Strike scowled and sat down, her tail tense. "I am just fine."

Duststripe carefully stepped beside her, facing Dove. If he wanted answers, it would have to be from her. The white she-cat glanced at him and then looked back at Strike, not even giving him time to ask a thing. "Tell me about this tree."

"It's. . . very odd," Strike started. "There's two or three trees twisted together. It's white and when you lean against it, you seem as if you're dead. And you open your eyes and you're with StarClan."

Dove's ears flicked. "So it is real?"

Strike nodded solemnly. "They spoke with me and healed my leg."

"What happened to your leg?"

Duststripe tried to wait patiently while Strike told Dove about the fox attack last morning and the death of Bluelightning. Then Dove wanted to know why Dan wasn't with them and Strike said how he'd abandoned them yesterday, scared. By then Duststripe had seen Cloverleaf. The tortoiseshell she-cat was stalking over, glaring at Dove. He felt relieved. If Cloverleaf was still around that meant the Clan was still safe. Cloverleaf would never accept rogue rule.

"He might come back after he's feeling better," Strike meowed. "I guess seeing me 'die' and then revive scared him. Or it could be that StarClan really exists."

Dove frowned. "I'm not sure I believe they do either. I just have your word for it."

Strike glared at her. "You sent me. That either means you trusted me or wanted me to watch the patrol. I believe both. You know I was skeptical. I've seen them and I don't lie."

Cloverleaf reached them by now. "You could have informed me they were back," she growled. She didn't wait for a reply and motioned for Duststripe to follow her. He got up and walked just a bit farther from the others.

"Can they have fresh-kill?" he asked, nodding to Risingtide and Frog who'd been anxiously watching the two she-cats.

Cloverleaf nodded. "Risingtide, Frog, you can eat. Mint-tail is out hunting with Duzie."

Risingtide nodded, grateful for news of his brother and mate and then followed Frog to the pile. The relaxing rogues watched them, slightly bristling as the pair walked pass.

"Sullen is dead."

Duststripe's head nearly rolled off with how fast he faced Cloverleaf. The tortoiseshell sat by his side, watching him.

"That's good," he meowed slowly.

Cloverleaf nodded. "Petalstar was disappointed though."

"Why?"

"She seemed to want him to meet StarClan. Maybe change his mind about us. I don't know. She's in her burrow. She's resting. She woke up about three days ago."

That had been the day after the battle. No wonder the camp seemed back to normal. If she'd revived first, the Clan cats would willingly follow her. The rogues must have been waiting for Sullen to wake and give them direction. They'd only attack now if they banded behind some new leader who wanted to fight the Clan. And the warriors would know of it before the assault and could defend themselves.

"What have the rogues been doing?" he asked.

"Sitting around like logs," Cloverleaf snarled, glaring darkly at them. "After Sullen died, they wanted to fight us, to get the camp again, but the Clan gathered and convinced them out of it. Since then they've done nothing. Most of them refuse to assist us. Dove is no help either. She might be their acting leader after Sullen was buried, but they don't seem to care. They get free food staying here. Petalstar hasn't even demanded they leave." She hissed again, stood, and started walking back-and-forth, her tail lashing. "If I were leader, they'd be gone if they refused to hunt or guard the territory."

Duststripe nodded. It didn't seem right to make the Clan do everything. What was Petalstar thinking?

"Tell me about the tree," Cloverleaf meowed, breathing deeply and closing her eyes. She sat down and looked at him.

So he did, starting with when the patrol left the clearing three days ago. They'd found the tree the second day out, slept in a hollow tree just last night and returned to camp about early evening. Cloverleaf listened and nodded, not at all sad that Bluelightning had passed away. He didn't tell her about the message the silver-blue tom had given him.

"Where is Lightberry?" he asked when he was done.

"With Crookedclaw. They haven't left each other's side since the battle." Cloverleaf narrowed her eyes. She stood up. "We better get Petalstar. She wanted to see the tree as soon as possible. Oh, Frog!" she raised her voice, looking at the apprentice next to Risingtide. They were both finishing a meal.

Strike had just started on her own squirrel. She was lying next to some of the rogues, busy telling them all about the tree. They seemed surprised, but mostly scornful. She was bristling, but kept her temper. Dove was standing next to the Low Branch as if waiting for Cloverleaf. The white she-cat kept glancing at them and then at the burrow beneath the elm tree roots.

"Frog!"

The apprentice came toward them.

"Would you get Dancingeyes or Waterdrop and send them to Petalstar's den?"

"I could go," Duststripe offered. "I'd like her to look at my paw." He held up the one Dan had bitten. It had been hard limping on it. The wound had scabbed over, but the skin felt taunt and warm.

"You can see her later," Cloverleaf told him. She turned to Frog. "Go."

The gray and brown tom nodded, hurrying to the leafcat den by the two boulders. Duststripe watched him go.

"Is Petalstar all right?" he asked quietly.

"That's what I want to know. I want to know if she can make it to that tree all right."

He nodded and then followed her to the burrow. The three of them disappeared into the dark.

**_-Line-_**

Frog pushed his way beneath the drooping bush leaves. The edges of the leaves were yellowing. Everything seemed to be wilting from the heat. Even he could feel it pressing down into his fur, making a headache pound beneath his ears. It felt better in the forest with all the shadows. The clearing was different, too open. He wondered when it would rain. He glanced up, but the leaves were too thick for him to see the sky. He continued on through the tunnel, listening to the sounds of two cats whispering.

The leaves opened up. There were two boulders to either side. The thick smell of herbs permeated the den. He could see Waterdrop's back. The old, silver tom who'd been leafcat for many seasons before Frog was born was laying in a small nest of ferns, facing Dancingeyes, a brown she-cat with amber eyes. Between them were some herbs. She seemed like she was trying to make him eat them. The silver tom suddenly started coughing. His eyes closed as he wheezed. Dancingeyes stood in concern, brushing her tail down his side. He twitched her off, glaring up at her with streaming eyes.

The apprentice paused, not wanting to go farther in while Waterdrop was in pain. Dancingeyes seemed too busy with Waterdrop at the moment to bring to Petalstar. He hesitated a bit longer. Waterdrop started coughing again.

"What's this?"

Frog jumped and noticed the figure in another nest nearby. A ginger tom with black ears. It took a sniff to get his scent. Frog growled low and faced his brother Fox. The other apprentice recognized Frog and struggled to get to his forepaws, unable to rise off of the nest. His back legs were thrust behind him in an odd position. Frog could still remember breaking his brother's legs. It had been in an effort to escape the camp a few moons ago. On a mission to discover just how ingrained the rogues had become in Summerheat.

"You," Fox growled, glaring. He struggled some more as if he would stand. He couldn't, and just lay there, panting. Frog lowered his ears and stood taller. Huh, there wasn't any danger! It was almost silly, this pathetic display of aggression.

"You did this to me!" Fox shrieked.

"You deserved it," Frog snarled back, moving a step closer. "You betrayed us. You would have killed me."

"I will kill you!" The ginger lunged forward.

Frog was startled just how fast the broken cat could move. He backed up, but got tangled in the wall of bushes. Fox pulled himself quickly across the ground and struck out with his claws, slashing Frog's legs. He couldn't reach any higher. It still hurt though. The pain was enough to break through Frog's panic. He leapt over his brother, nearly running into Dancingeyes. The brown she-cat was too slow to catch him as he turned back and jumped onto his brother. He dug in with his claws and then bit the back of Fox's neck. The ginger hissed and tried to roll. Frog kicked hard, drawing blood.

Teeth buried themselves into his neck, yanking him off, dragging the gray and brown apprentice across the ground away from his brother. He fought back, reaching up to claw Dancingeyes's muzzle. She winced but didn't let go. Frog snarled and tried to stand. Just then Fox grabbed a hold of his back legs and started clawing closer to Frog's belly.

"Reed!" Dancingeyes yowling was muffled by Frog's fur.

The dark ginger leafcat apprentice darted from the back, a nettle leaf stuck to his chest. He quickly pulled Fox off of Frog, pinning the injured tom to the ground. Dancingeyes released Frog, stepping between him and his brother.

"What's the matter with you?" she hissed, shoving her bleeding face into his own. "He's injured for StarClan's sake!"

Frog growled and glared around her to where Fox was struggling beneath Reed, still muttering about killing Frog.

"Frog!" she hissed.

His eyes snapped back to her. Waterdrop limped over from his nest, eyes sagging, tail dropping. Frog only glanced once at him.

"Cloverleaf wants you in Petalstar's den," he meowed quickly.

"Don't change the subject!" she growled at him. "Why are you behaving like a kit? He's your brother!"

"No brother of mine," Frog growled. He hadn't grown up with the ginger tom, so he didn't know him. And Fox had tried to kill him first. Even if that first time had been moons ago.

"This is ridiculous," Dancingeyes shook her head. "Reed, I told you to look after Fox."

"Sorry," her apprentice lowered his head, still keeping a tight grip on Fox. The younger apprentice looked like he was starting to wear out. "But it was about time to ready a poultice for Storm. Her belly wound, remember?"

Dancingeyes sighed, closing her eyes tightly.

"I'll get some poppy seeds," Waterdrop wheezed and shambled his way into the storage area.

"You," Dancingeyes snapped, glaring at Frog. "We'll speak to your father about this. Come on."

She made sure he went first leaving the leafcat den. He could feel her behind him. He kept his tail up so he didn't have to touch her. He really wasn't sure why he'd done that. Fox really was injured and everyone knew not to attack injured cats, it wasn't right. But he was angry, so angry with that ginger tom with the black ears. They might have been brothers by blood, but that apprentice . . . rage just overwhelmed Frog whenever he saw that tom. He'd actually hoped he'd never see Fox again. Some part of him had hoped breaking his back legs would kill him off. Instead, Fox just lived on just as angry with Frog. The gray and brown apprentice knew that someday they'd have to end their self-appointed feud. He'd just have to wait until Fox was out of the leafcat den.


	28. Chapter 27: Whispering Stars

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

* * *

**Chapter 27**

Petalstar wanted to leave immediately when she heard the news, but Cloverleaf insisted they wait for morning. Besides, she'd said, there were some things they needed to take care of. Petalstar seemed to understand the tortoiseshell she-cat and agreed.

"Dove," the red leader meowed. "I need you to speak with your rogues. Tell two of them they may come along with us. I want the others helping my Clan tomorrow. Send them on patrols with my cats."

"I can't do that," Dove shook her head. "They won't listen to me."

"You're their leader," Petalstar insisted. "Some of them may just. And if they don't. . . they will have to leave the Clan."

Cloverleaf looked happy about that. Dove just stared at the burrow wall.

It was dark beneath the ground, the only light coming from the tunnel. It illuminated the part of the boulder buried beneath the soil that made up one wall. The tree roots formed another, holding the dirt back. The temperature was nicer underground. Duststripe had noticed the air change from hot to cool when they went under. There was also the faint smell of a tom cat. It was Sullen's scent. It was still around from when the rogue had used the den. It wouldn't be so easy to forget the yellow tom. Small grains of dirt rolled down from the tunnel. Duststripe glanced up and could see the brown legs of Dancingeyes.

"I'll go up," he meowed. "It'll be crowded when she gets down here."

Cloverleaf nodded and turned to Dove. "You should go to."

"Don't order me around," Dove hissed at her.

"Please, Dove, would you wait at the top?" Petalstar meowed calmly. "I will tell you when we intend to go. Just talk to your cats. I need them to understand they can't just use us like they did before. If they want to be Clan members, they have to act like it . . ."

Her voice got fainter as he went up. The air got warmer. Duststripe wondered who Petalstar s deputy was. Had she taken on Sullen's practice of two? One in charge of the rogue fraction living in the camp and the other in charge of the warriors? Dove and Cloverleaf probably weren't clear on who was in charge either. They certainly didn't get along. He hoped Petalstar decided soon who would be the deputy.

Dancingeyes was glaring at him when he reached the clearing. The sun was starting to sink and the sky was darker, a single star twinkling above between Dancingeyes's ears. She stood tall, her legs spread for balance, her tail arching around Frog. What had he done wrong? He lowered his ears, waiting for her to tell him.

"Talk to you son," she hissed at him. "What he just did." She shook her head, her tail lashing. She started down.

Duststripe looked at Frog. The apprentice refused to look at him, eyes on a small pebble.

"She said son this time. Not apprentice," Duststripe spoke out loud. "So what does a father have to tell you that a mentor cannot? What did you do?" he asked when Frog gave no reply.

"I went to get a leafcat," Frog muttered. "Fox was in there."

Duststripe blinked. Fox. "He's . . . alive?"

"Of course," Frog snapped, tail twitching. "He didn't fight in the battle this time."

Duststripe remembered the last time on the scouting mission. He could remember something happened to Fox, but he couldn't quite recall. Whatever it was had put him in the leafcat's den for so long.

"I was going to get Dancingeyes, I swear," Frog told him. "She was just busy with Waterdrop. He's not doing so well. I don't think he's. . ." Frog couldn't continue. He licked muzzle. "Fox suddenly spoke up and I saw him, so I went over to him and I attacked."

"Why? Was he doing anything? Why was he in there?"

"His broken back legs," Frog muttered.

Oh. Now Duststripe remembered. Lightberry had been there when Fox and Bee had Frog cornered. They'd almost killed him apparently, slamming his head into a tree repeatedly. She'd saved Frog and Frog broke Fox's back legs. Duststripe wasn't sure, but an injury like that sounded serious. He thought cats that couldn't walk usually died.

"I was angry with him," Frog defended himself. "It's not like I shouldn't be. He gave us up to Sullen. And Lilyfern likes him and hates us so-"

"Hey," Duststripe meowed quietly. He reached forward with one paw to tap his son's shoulder. "Is this what everything is about? You think Lilyfern doesn't care?"

"NO! What in StarClan are you talking about?" Frog meowed, ears lowered. "Fox tried to attack me anyway. I guess I could have run when I had the chance, but he's just creepy crawling on the ground like that." He shivered.

Duststripe had a feeling Frog didn't quite know why he'd attacked his brother either. Maybe part of him really was jealous that his brother and mother had lived together and knew each other. Perhaps the other part was angry about the betrayal. Together, Frog just couldn't leave his brother alone.

"But the main problem is you attacked an injured cat, right? That's what Dancingeyes is angry about?"

"I guess," Frog shrugged.

"Then I will have to punish you for that. We don't have any elders to make you care for," he sighed. "The next best option was to send you to the leafcat, but if I do you'll probably start fighting again.-"

"No," Dancingeyes was back. She came from the tunnel, Dove right behind her. The white she-cat took off for the group of rogues lying in the growing shade as night closed in. She seemed determined. Duststripe hope she succeeded with convincing them to help. He wasn't sure he would like another battle.

"I think it's a great idea," Dancingeyes meowed.

Frog stared at her with narrowed eyes. Even Duststripe wasn't sure. Didn't she want the two toms separated?

"We'll keep an eye on the pair, but if Frog has to work with his brother, I think we might solve the problem of their. . . anger. Maybe they'll learn to be friends."

"When fish fly," Frog snarled.

"Hush," Duststripe growled at him.

The apprentice's ears lowered but now he glared at Dancingeyes's paws.

"And before we leave tomorrow, you should both visit Lilyfern. She might want to talk with you." Dancingeyes nodded and started walking back to the leafcat den.

A short time later Cloverleaf came from below. "We leave in the morning," she told the pair. "You'll guide us. We'll take two rogues including Dove and two warriors."

"Who?"

"Whitetoes and Fishbelly. And Waterdrop will come along if he can. If not, Dancingeyes will join us."

"I hope he can come."

"So do I," Cloverleaf meowed, her voice softer than usual. She sighed. "Petalstar wants to talk with him, but she feels hurt. She got youth from StarClan. What did he get? Nothing. He's getting weaker. Even Dancingeyes says so. If he does come with us to the tree, it will be his last time."

Later that night, Petalstar summoned the Clan beneath the Low Branch. She sat upon the bowed limb, staring down at the warriors. They'd pushed in front, forcing the rogues to ring the back. The rogues didn't look like they even wanted to be there, but it wasn't as if they had anything better to do.

"You are all here to witness who will be leader after I am gone. This is a deputy ceremony. I know I made a mistake by not chosen a deputy earlier, but I was hoping somehow a cat would stand out to me. The only one I can think of, who has devoutly followed me and taken my orders, who puts the Clan first above all, is Cloverleaf."

The tortoiseshell's ears went up.

"She was my deputy in GroveClan, a camp far away in the direction of the sun. With the disbanding of that Clan, she became a simple warrior again, but I call her forward once more to accept this responsibility." Petalstar jumped down from the elm branch. Cloverleaf came near, smiling faintly.

"Cloverleaf, before StarClan and SummerheatClan, I declare you my new deputy. Serve the Clan well, for one day, when I am gone, they will follow your word and look to you to guide them fairly."

"Thank you, Petalstar," Cloverleaf bowed her head.

The Clan chanted her name, most of them approving of Petalstar's choice. Duststripe felt proud for his friend. It felt right that she would still be his deputy. GroveClan had been good for her.

Mint-tail went forward first, nudging her with his great gray head. Even Risingtide seemed pleased. He wrapped his tail around Duzie and the pair stared on. Frog leapt forward, pushing aside Mint-tail and dancing about like he was a kit once more.

_**-Line-**_

Duststripe pushed into the rosy bush of the nursery, Frog muttering darkly behind him.

"I don't want to talk with her."

"Just come," Duststripe growled back. His paw had been bound up finally and Dancingeyes promised there would be no infection, but it would swell, especially with all the walking he was doing.

Lilyfern looked up from her bird. She sat up, smiling at them. "I wasn't expecting anyone after that ceremony. I thought everyone would want some sleep."

"Yeah, we will be busy in the morning, but I thought we should speak with you."

Her ears went forward, her eyes brightening. The kits by her side suddenly woke up. Their eyes were open and when they saw Duststripe and Frog, who lay rather stiffly nearby, they squeaked and got up. Duststripe watched them for a few moments while they tripped over themselves to get out of their nest.

"Who're you?" they squeaked at Duststripe.

He told them, introducing them to Frog. They smiled brightly.

"I'm Fleet," the spotted tom mewed.

"I'm Sleek!" the black she-kit chirped.

"Do you like mice?"

"Of course," Duststripe meowed, blinking softly.

"Then are they your friends?"

"Not like that," he chuckled.

It wasn't long before they lost interest in questioning him. They got to tumbling about the round nursery. Duststripe almost felt like things were normal again, that he and Lilyfern were mates and he was here for one of those fatherly visits.

Suddenly the kits jumped on Frog's back. He leapt to his feet, eyes wide. The apprentice turned on the kits, staring at them, his nose wrinkling in the beginning of a snarl. They looked back up at him, their tails fluffing out, just as shocked as Frog had been. Lilyfern stood up.

Frog twitched and sank back down, eyeing them, but then turning back to face his parents. His ears flicked backward, still wary. The first attack might have been an innocent surprise, but the young tom didn't want to become their toy.

"How about you come back here?" Lilyfern meowed to her kits, flicking her tail.

"No," Fleet meowed, standing straighter. He turned away and went to stalk a feather. His sister jumped after him.

After the tension eased, Duststripe and Lilyfern got to talking. It was different than last time. She wasn't pushing him for answers. She let him talk about GroveClan and what the free cats been doing while Sullen was in charge of the camp. The tortoiseshell she-cat with the white stripe even spoke more openly with him.

The kits continued playing, on occasion stalking the visiting cats, even jumping on Frog again. He did his best to ignore them and didn't strike out. That just made the kits think of him as their toy even more. His reaction was to glare, his ears almost flat.

"Where is their father?" Duststripe asked. Whoever the tom was, Duststripe had never seen him around. Not that Duststripe had been in camp long enough to pay attention who went in and out of the nursery.

"Their father isn't as overprotective as you were," she smiled at him. "And I have a feeling he's scared you'll attack him."

"Why would he think that?" Duststripe snorted.

"You were my mate first and the last time you came by you caused a ruckus. And our sons are a bit, overbearing."

Duststripe wasn't quite sure what that meant. Did that reflected on him? Was he really like Frog? Would he attack some cat just from anger? He probably would have, the first he learned Lilyfern had kits with another, but now she just seemed happy. He would never hurt her current mate. He couldn't help but think of Lightberry. Where had the spotted she-cat gotten too?

Lilyfern tried to talk with Frog, but Frog just sat by quietly, keeping his tail tucked away from the kits.

"I don't think he'll forgive me," she'd whispered to Duststripe when the pair left later.

"He might, eventually. When he grows some. But I think he thinks you abandoned him."

She blinked. "What?"

"You were here for his brothers but never got to know him."

"Hmm. Maybe. But I can't really get to know him if he doesn't speak to me. How to I gain his trust?"

Duststripe shrugged. He wasn't sure how Frog could get hers. No one yet had told her about how Fox and Frog had fought in the leafcat den. He wasn't sure if anyone who knew would tell. What would she do then? He just hoped having Frog and Fox in the same den would improve matters. He doubted it. He could only hope Dancingeyes would keep watch on both of them, or at least keep Frog too busy to bother his brother.

**_-Line-_**

Morning came too early for Duststripe. And still warm like blood. He quickly enjoyed a meal with Lightberry, but she soon stood up.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Lightberry meowed.

"Sure," Duststripe replied, licking her forehead.

She smiled at him and took off, following Crookedclaw. They were going on another hunting patrol.

Duststripe gazed after them, feeling hurt that she hadn't wanted to come on the patrol with him instead. But he had to let her be with her brother. It was important to Lightberry. Maybe one of these days when he finally got to stay in camp, he could get to know Crookedclaw better. The thought sent shivers down his tail. All of the stories he'd heard about the dusky tom hadn't been good. But if Lightberry trusted him, shouldn't others?

"Are you ready?"

Petalstar walked over from her den. Dove and Cloverleaf by her side.

"Whenever you want to leave," he meowed.

"Let's wait for the others," she laughed.

The other members of the patrol gathered. The two rogues chosen by Dove walked from the group of rogues lying nearby. They seemed to like sleeping in the open, letting the warriors have the stuffy log for their den. Dancingeyes was speaking with Waterdrop by the leafden. Even Frog walked from the apprentice den, ignoring Bee, who'd followed after him. The gray striped tom seemed disappointed by something. Lilyfern walked from the den and stood by his side, trying to talk with Frog, but the gray and brown apprentice ignored both of them, stalking over to Duststripe. Lilyfern caught Duststripe's eye and nodded at him. He waved his tail once in acknowledgement.

"I think we're all here," Petalstar meowed. "Lead the way."

Duststripe started off, walking through the ferns as they made their way to the tree. It was a very large patrol consisting of two rogues, three warriors, Frog, Petalstar, and Waterdrop. Cloverleaf stared after them, disappointed that she was not traveling with them. The deputy been left to make sure nothing happened between rogues and Clan.

"How long does it take to reach the tree?" Dove asked.

"We might get there by evening," he meowed. "But maybe longer." He glanced at Waterdrop. The old tom was stumbling beside Petalstar. His breath was wheezy and he didn't seem healthy enough to be leaving camp for long. But he'd insisted on coming. He insisted he had to be the one. "There is a hallow tree we can spend the night in if we have to."

"Just lead the way," Petalstar meowed. "We'll get there when we get there."

He nodded and he hurried forward to the front of the group. Frog by his side. He'd have to get back to training Frog too, he reminded himself. More hunting techniques. Fishing certainly. There was so much to do when they finally got to be a Clan again. He hoped StarClan had advice for the rogues.

_**-Line-**_

"This is it," Duststripe meowed. He glanced behind. The patrol gazed at the twisted, white tree in awe. In the pale sunrise it almost seemed to glow. They hadn't rested that night after all. Just kept walking through the dark. Waterdrop had insisted they keep going, not to rest for him. They hadn't hunted either since last night. His stomach growled and his belly ached. Frog was complaining about a headache and in general the air seemed heavy with heat, even so early in the morning.

"What do we do?" Petalstar asked him.

"You jump through that hole there," Frog meowed, running up to the gap between the roots and the trunks.

Petalstar seemed reluctant, glancing at Waterdrop. The old tom was wheezing again, too gaunt to have possibly made it on his own.

"You don't have to," Duststripe shook his head. "Just lean against it and close your eyes. It worked for Strike and Risingtide."

She nodded and motioned for Waterdrop to go first. He slowly lay next to the tree, closing his eyes. He gave a sigh and seemed to sink down, his head lolling. Duststripe's fur prickled. It looked too eerily like death.

"Dove," Petalstar meowed to the white she-cat. "You will join us. So will your rogues. My warriors will keep guard."

"I'd prefer if they kept watch too," Dove meowed. Her voice was polite enough, but she obviously didn't want to be told what to do.

"I'd like more witnesses," Petalstar meowed. "More of your rogues need to be convinced."

"As far as I've heard, many of the Clan don't even believe."

"They will. In time. For now, you must know the truth."

Reluctantly Dove motioned for the two rogues to press against the tree. They nervously did and they too collapsed to the ground. Dove's fur stood on end, as uneasy as Duststripe.

"And you," Petalstar told her. Slowly Dove leaned against the white roots. When she was asleep, the red leader turned to her warriors. "I know you must want to see StarClan, and I want you to. But for now I require you to guard us. Keep predators away."

Fishbelly and Whitetoes nodded. Duststripe didn't really care to see StarClan again and he also nodded. She went to the tree, leaned against it, and fell to the ground. Whitetoes and Fishbelly shared a glance, swallowed and faced the forest.

"We'll be on this side," Duststripe meowed, motioning to the other side of the tree. Whitetoes nodded and Duststripe and Frog went over. Frog lay down in some shade. Duststripe sat not too far away. His aching paw slowly numbed. Bugs buzzed in the trees and the birds whistled overhead, shaking the leaves as they landed. The air was thick and warm. His body relaxed. He slowly felt his eyes getting heavy. It would be so nice to just sleep. . . He jerked awaked, shaking his head violently.

"No," he growled, "not again. I'm not going to fail you again."

Frog glanced over at his father but said nothing, and started to wash. The four guards waited around the white tree, gazing at the undergrowth, sniffing the air for threats. Whitetoes and Frog rested. Eventually Fishbelly went to hunt, and Whitetoes awoke from his nap.

Sunhigh came and the cats by the tree started stirring. They slowly got to their feet, walking around as if they'd somehow forgotten how their limbs worked. The rogues had vacant eyes that stared about in awe. It seemed they were convinced of StarClan now. Only one cat didn't move. Petalstar anxiously stood above the gray tom's body. Her tail flicked, her eyes wide.

"Please, get up," she whispered.

Whitetoes came to her side, touching her with his tail tip. They stood above, but the gray tom never did move. Fishbelly glanced at them and then gathered the rogues. They all went hunting, taking Frog with them. Duststripe approached his leader and the senior warrior.

"Did anything happen?" he meowed.

Petalstar sighed. "They said he might not be able to return. That his body was too weak. I hoped he'd make it." Her voice faded off and she closed her eyes, hunching over.

"I'm so sorry," Duststripe meowed, lowering his ears.

"He was a great leafcat," Whitetoes nodded. "He lived a good life. And now he found StarClan for us."

"He wouldn't want you to miss him," Duststripe meowed. "He'd want you to be happy."

"I know, I know. I just can't make myself _not_ miss him. He was my friend for so long." Duststripe had a feeling there had been more between them. They might not have ever shown their love, but it had been there throughout their seasons of exile. Now it was too late.

_**-Line-**_

They reached camp the next day before evening. Petalstar bounded to the Low Branch and called for the cats. They padded from the dens, a few from the nearby forest, gathering beneath her. Even the rogues sat nearby. Lightberry found Duststripe and sat beside him. He smiled at her and she licked his ears.

"Back for good now?" she purred.

"Oh, I hope so."

She laughed. Her brother looked at her, then at Duststripe and then suddenly looked straight up at the stars that started shining. Duststripe had to stop himself from looking up as well.

"The spirits of our ancestors have spoken to us. They will look after us in the coming troubles. And though we mourn the loss of our beloved leafcat Waterdrop, I know that he still would have gone with us to see the Moontree. Tonight we strive to be reunited once more as a Clan. I speak to the rogues. Will you join our Clan and be one with us? Follow our rules laid down by StarClan long ago?"

Duststripe looked over his shoulder at the rogues. They stared at Petalstar then glanced at each other.

"I will join," Dove stood. "I don't doubt StarClan."

"This isn't just about them," Petalstar meowed. "They might have been our start and where all our ends may meet, but I need to know that you will help this Clan. No more laying about, letting others hunt for you. Life will go like it was before Sullen's invasion. However, I welcome all rogues to be a part of SummerheatClan. If they are willing to work. You do not have to go on your own."

"And why should that bother us?" hissed a white tom known as Ice. "We've lived alone all our lives. I will not take orders from you."

"Then you, and the others who agree with you, are free to leave. And if you don't leave voluntarily, we will force you from our camp." Petalstar bared her teeth and stared at Ice. No longer was she the pacifist. Now that StarClan had summoned her and given her a charge, she would make the Clan one. "You have one night to decide. By morning, we better not see tail nor whisker of you. As for you Dove, are you committed to joining our Clan?"

The white she-cat with the brown chest nodded. Duststripe watched as Strike and the other cats who'd seen StarClan agreed. There were others who turned away: Web, a brown tom, and a tortoiseshell she-cat. Most seemed undecided.

"Then Dove, step forward," Petalstar motioned with her tail.

The rogue did, carefully weaving her way through the Clan cats. Petalstar hopped off the Low Branch to meet her. The grass pressed down under her red paws and the two she-cats gazed at each other, starlight shining from above.

"I, Petalstar, leader of Summerheat, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this cat. She will try hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in Her turn. Dove, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your future clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Dove nodded. "I will."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name, Dove, from this moment on you will be known as Doveheart. StarClan honors your belief and your independence and we welcome you as a full warrior of Summerheat." She rested her head on top of Doveheart's head. The former rogue must have known something about Clan ceremonies because she licked Petalstar's shoulder.

The Clan called out her name, welcoming their newest warrior. Other cats, willing to join the Clan, became received their new names shortly after. Duststripe had a feeling all those who had stepped forward that night would be the only ones to join. All other rogues would be gone by morning. Perhaps taking a few former Clan members with them.

"Go on," Lightberry nudged her brother.

Crookedclaw lowered his head and almost looked like a shy kit. With his sister's encouragement, he was the last to approach Petalstar.

"I w-would like to c-come back," he meowed quietly, his head jerking. An uneasy ripple spread through the older warriors. They could still remember the accusation that he'd murdered two kits long ago.

Petalstar noticed the unease and looked at Lightberry. The spotted she-cat lifted her head. To Duststripe, it looked like she was defying the red leader to even refuse her brother. Petalstar slowly nodded her head.

"We would have you back, Crookedclaw," she meowed. "I and your sister have discussed the reasons for your former exile. I believe you are innocent."

Cloverleaf growled low, but the deputy said nothing, crouching in the roots of the elm. Some of the other warriors also murmured but did not go against their leader.

"Crookedclaw," Petalstar raised her voice. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your future Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

The dusky ginger tom raised his head and nodded. He spoke clearly and unhesitating. "I do."

"Then I Petalstar call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this cat. Spirits of StarClan, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you, for it no longer stands for what he is."

The Clan stilled as Petalstar performed an unfamiliar ceremony. What was she doing, taking away Croockedclaw's name? Was she even making him a warrior?

"By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment on he will be known as Duskclaw, for the name he was given as a warrior long ago was a cruel joke by a cruel cat. Duskclaw is a different cat, a healing tom. StarClan honors your patience and your dedication and we welcome you as a full warrior of Summerheat."

"Duskclaw!" Lightberry yowled at the top of her lungs.

Duststripe quickly joined her and soon the rest of the Clan, former rogues especially who knew him best, chanted his name.

Later Whitetoes retired to an elder. Petalstar thanked him for his devotion to the Clan and for helping it through its hard times. By the end of the meeting, most of the rogues who did not want anything to do with the Clan left. The new warriors went over to the warrior den, the log near a grouping of lilac bushes. They slept outside it, feeling too hot to sleep crowded together. Lightberry and Duststripe lay side-by-side, Duskclaw having joined Crowstrike, formally the she-cat known as Strike.

"I'm happy for you and your brother," Duststripe whispered to her as the almost full moon shone down on the clearing through the gap in the trees. The stars, perhaps the spirits of the dead, maybe something natural, twinkled and danced, one streaking through the sky, leaving a long glowing tail.

"I'm so grateful Petalstar gave him his old name back," Lightberry told him quietly. "He hated being called Crookedclaw. I know he's going to try his best to fit in."

"I know," Duststripe nodded.

"Thanks." There was silence, the soft breathing of the warriors around them. "Do you might if I join you and Frog tomorrow?"

"Yes, you can. I'm going to teach him how to fish."

"Really? That will be fun!"

Duststripe smiled, although she couldn't really see it. Her eyes were already closed. Her chest rose and fell softly as she slipped into sleep. He leaned over and licked her ear, settling his chin back on his paws. Everything was complete now. They were a Clan. Summerheat was finally back together, Petalstar in her rightful place, no fear from the rogues. And he and Lightberry. . . hmm, would she say yes?

* * *

**To help you along, he wants to ask her to be his mate.**

**Fleet and Sleek's warrior names will be Sleekfur and Fleetfoot.**


	29. Chapter 28: Epilogue

_Disclaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter_

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**Epilogue**

**Some Moons Later **

The ground squished beneath his paws, the mud oozing though his toes and claws. The smell of damp ground and moss filled his nose, mixed with the terror of many cats. Their wailing was interspersed with coughing fits. The faint scent of smoke tickled about him on the breeze. His heart lurched. The wind wouldn't push the fire here would it? Was it even wet enough? The bog ground wasn't as damp as it used to be, the plants not as green. The branches overhead knocked together, creaking as if they too feared the fire.

There had been no rain during greenleaf. Leaf-fall was halfway through when the clouds finally came. But rain did not fall. Dry lightning and flames descended on the forest. Early morning, Crowstrike had smelled smoke first and led a patrol in the direction of the Moontree. They came fleeing back, terror on their faces, and smoke in their fur. It filled the forest with a thick mist, the heat growing ever closer. Ash, appearing as falling snow, fell around them, dotting the ground. Petalstar ordered everyone to flee toward the bog. Duststripe in the nursery with Lightberry had only time to grab one of their kits. Frog grabbed another and Lightberry the last. They fled just as the first sparks jumped to the fallen log of the warrior den, the flames licking not far behind, spreading across the dry yellow grass like a snake. The smaller prey animals raced around the cats as they ran for the bog. Through the hazy, red air Duststripe thought he saw cats fall behind, coughing. But he pushed on, clenching in his jaws, determined that the she-kit would not die.

Somehow the Clan out ran the fire. The flames might have been stopped by the ridges of sand, unable to go fast on the plant-less slopes. It swirled and ate the mid-forest, tree trunks falling in loud smacks.

Duststripe lowered Amber to the ground, gasping and gulping for air. The little kit mewled, staring up at him with red-rimmed eyes, coughing pitifully.

"Lightberry?" Duststripe wheezed. He looked around at the other cats nearby, seeking his mate. He couldn't see her familiar light brown and spotted pelt. Everyone seemed streaked in soot and ash. They stared at him, huddling beneath the leaning trees as they panted for breath.

"Keep moving, keep going!" Cloverleaf yowled behind them. She nudged the sitting cats. They slowly got to their feet and walked on, deeper into the bog. The tortoiseshell deputy spotted Duststripe and hurried over.

"Have you seen Lightberry?" he asked her.

"Keep going," she interrupted him. "Don t let anyone stop. Get them to the islands. We have to get far away as possible from the fire. Go."

She pasted him, moving onto the next group of cats. Duststripe lowered his head, licking Amber and picking her up, moving after the deputy. She was right. They couldn't stop. But that still didn't stop his worry for his mate or kits.

On they wandered, the air getting thicker as if the smoke were following them. The fire couldn't be too far behind then. He tried to pick up his pace, nudging the slower cats. The ground got muddier, squelching loudly. Some cat couldn't pick its paws from the muck. A fear gripped Duststripe's chest. Please, don't sink.

He put Amber down on a flat stone and went to pull out the stuck tom. It took effort, but finally the cat was pulled to firmer ground. "Use the trees," he wheezed. The tom stared at him, but jumped on a branch. It rocked, moss pieces falling on the cats below. They saw what he was doing and joined him.

"Find an island," Duststripe called. "Something with rocks and reeds."

He wasn't sure the cats heard or understood him, but he went back for Amber. The she-kit was trying to sleep, curling up on the stone, coughing into her tail. Hopefully a leafcat had something to help. If he could find a leafcat, or Lightberry. Amber would have to eat soon.

Duststripe leapt to a smooth branch, gripping hard with his claws. Somehow the action was familiar. He'd done this before hadn't he? Once, seasons ago, running for his life, carrying a kit in his jaws and he jumped across gaps between branches? Life seemed to repeat itself. He sighed and hurried along with the rest, careful not to trip and fall to the ground. A few cats did slip, but managed to hold on until they were saved.

At some point, someone saw an island below. One cat tested the ground before inviting the rest down. They eased in among the reeds and pointed stones. The smoky haze was less, but the thick tangy scent remained. Something wet slid down Duststripe's back. He tensed, placed Amber down and licked it. His fur was thick with ash. It masked his pelt. Even whatever had landed on him disappeared into it. He glanced at the others. No wonder he was having a hard time recognizing them, their scents and pelts were disguised.

"Cloverleaf?" he croaked.

One of them looked up. "Yes?"

"We should find the others."

"Of course." She got up, shook her head as if to drive away her grogginess and started for the trees. "Everyone, stay here in case someone comes to you."

They all nodded. The tortoiseshell left them, jumping above like a squirrel.

"We need to hunt," Duststripe meowed, his voice still harsh. "We'll find something in the bog."

"I'll go," meowed the tom Duststripe had saved earlier. It kind of sounded like Dan. (When the tom finally returned to camp moons ago, he'd refused to change his name.)

Duststripe nodded, checked that Amber really was sleeping and wouldn't wander off. Then he left her in the care of Stormynight and went for a walk in the reeds. He and the other tom, Dan, team hunted. Each one scaring up a frog or even a vole, chasing it to the other. They avoided the wetter areas and places where their paws stuck. When they got back, a new cat was moving between the others. It was Longreed, the leafcat. His apprentice name had been Reed. Duststripe felt grateful when he saw the tom.

"Did you take care of Amber?" he meowed, dropping the fresh-kill. Longreed nodded. "She's young and the smoke was bad for her lungs, but she didn't inhale too much. She'll just be sore for a few days. When I can, I'll get her some honey." The ginger leafcat glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the fire. Duststripe knew whatever honeybee hive the leafcats got their honey from had probably burned. It would take some time to find another hive.

"Is everyone else all right?"

Longreed paused, one ear lowered. "I was on another island with three other cats. I'm not sure. Sorry."

"It's all right," Duststripe meowed. He left the leafcat to his business and went to Amber. He curled about his kit, keeping her warm, wishing he knew where everyone else had gotten to. More wet drops sprinkled around him. He glanced up. The thick branches disguised the sky. Even if it had been sunhigh, it would have been too dark to tell with all the moss and thick leaves. But it was very dark. That meant the clouds were still there. Was it finally raining? A drop landed on his nose. He licked it off. The water was soothing to his dry, bitter throat. More came, quicker now, sliding down the moss and branches, trickling onto the cats below.

"I hope this puts out the fire," Stormynight meowed. The thick furred she-cat shook her head, drops flying from her whiskers and ear tips. The water ran through her fur, washing out the ash. Duststripe moved Amber to some reeds, pulling down the stems to make some sort of den to keep her dry.

Later that day, the rain ceased. The smoke still clung in the air, but the terror had left the other cats. Cloverleaf had returned. She brought the three cats that had been with Longreed on their island. Risingtide and Mint-tail and Sleek.

"I found the others," Cloverleaf meowed.

Longreed's ears rose.

"Dancingeyes and Petalstar were the last out of camp," Cloverleaf told them. "She's not in a good way."

"Who? Dancingeyes?" the junior leafcat demanded.

"No, she was burned, but she's not too bad. It's Petalstar. She can hardly catch a breath and most of her fur was burned away." Cloverleaf glanced away, pain in her yellow eyes.

"What about Lightberry and Frog and the kits?" Duststripe spoke up anxiously.

"They're on the other island," Cloverleaf meowed. "I'm sorry, but Sparrow didn't make it. And no one can find Fox."

"I'm sorry," Longreed muttered while other cats pestered Cloverleaf with questions on their loved ones. "His back legs couldn't support him. I got him into the forest, dragged him most of the way, but he finally collapsed and told me to go on. He was caught in the fire."

Duststripe wasn't clearly listening. They'd lost Sparrow. The little tom was no more. And Fox. Well, he'd never gotten close to that other son. At least Flyingbee was friendlier and tried to get to know his father and brother he never knew, probably encouraged by Lilyfern. Duststripe hoped her two kits were safe. They were nearly old enough to become apprentices. They'd all been out of the nursery on a forest adventure when the fire came.

"Cloverleaf," Duststripe meowed.

She looked at him. He knew he was looking at his future leader. Petalstar probably wouldn't make it. She must not have had many lives left after the battle and if her lungs were damaged like Dancingeyes must have suspected, she wouldn't last much longer.

"Take me to the other island. Amber needs to be with Lightberry."

Cloverleaf nodded and the pair took to the wet trees. Little Amber hanging from Duststripe's jaws, not yet aware she would never see her brother again.

**_-Line-_**

A red shape formed in the middle of the circle. The apparition became solid, the chest starting to rise and fall in easy breaths. The eyes open, yellow discs that glanced across the faces of cats.

"It's over, isn't it?" she meowed.

The black tom with the yellow eyes nodded. "Welcome to StarClan, Petalstar."

Her eyes lowered to her paws. The grass under her body was cool and soft, not like the prickling dry stands she'd become used to back at camp. But that was no more. Her camp was no more. She closed her eyes, caught in the memory of the red and yellow flames shooting skyward to the clouds above. There had been jagged streaks of lightning clawing across the gray mass. Thunder echoing across the sky, shaking trees. And no rain. Her Clan running, fleeing.

She thought she could remember Dancingeyes pulling her from the burrow. She'd fled down below, after making sure the camp was empty. But by the time she tried to leave, the clearing had seemed surrounded by fire and heat. She'd dived into her burrow, hoping that somehow the fire would pass over it. But down Dancingeyes had come pulling her forth and into the line of fire. There was harsh pain and she'd blacked out once, a life quickly gone. When she'd awoken again, some how they'd reached the bog, two cats carrying her the best they could, Dancingeyes stumbling by her side. She'd passed out. Later she thought she could remember Dancingeyes whispering to her as she rubbed cool mud across her body. There had been some cats nearby, but not all of her Clan.

"Are they safe?" she demanded, opening her eyes. "Did they survive?"

"Most of them survived," Darkfire meowed. "But there were four other deaths. Sparrow, Fox, Squeakingmouse, and Dapplefoot."

"So young," Petalstar closed her eyes, grieving for the dead cats. And for the living. What their world would be like now was hard to imagine. She only knew it would be hard. The territory burned, prey fled, friends dead. She sighed and opened her eyes, glancing around the meadow she'd awakened in. The cats of StarClan milled about, hunched over anxiously peering about. They knew about the fire then. She could spot some familiar faces. Only not the four recently dead, Darkfire and the others must taken them someplace else. She could see the warriors of her youth, the elders she used to care for. And there was one older cat whom she'd known the longest. He walked over to her, confidence in his step, his blue eyes shining.

"Waterdrop," she meowed. She got to her feet, nuzzling his face.

"I'm so glad to see you," he whispered, licking her ear. "I know you wouldn't have wanted to leave the Clan like this, but I am glad to see you."

She nodded and glanced at Darkfire. The other cats who'd waited for her to enter StarClan drifted off. Only one dark brown she-cat waited with the black tom.

"Where's Raven?" she asked.

"He and the other leaders and leafcats are by the Lookingpool. They're watching the Clan."

"Then we have to go," the red she-cat meowed, flicking her tail.

"Come on," Waterdrop meowed. He motioned her along to a grove of trees. The sun shone above in a clear sky. There seemed to be the faint sound of, well, something. That odd sound she heard whenever she met StarClan. Like a heartbeat and singing birds. They'd tried to explain it to her that it was music and they made it with something called instruments. She wasn't quite sure if they were serious or not.

The air was warm, but not unpleasantly. It was always greenleaf in StarClan. Waterdrop led her to the grove. The cats who'd given Petalstar her nine lives sat on ledges overlooking a small bubbling pool. They were the leaders. The base of the ledge had crumbled beneath it, leaving the stony overlook. A small stream led away, trailing through the ferns. The leafcats sat around that. Raven, a tortoiseshell tom, the cat who'd formed Summerheat first, heard their approach and motioned her over.

"The fire's over. It's raining finally," he meowed. She sat by him, Waterdrop on the other side. She looked into the pool. The water wavered, stones beneath the surface rippling, and then were replaced with the face of Cloverleaf leaning over a nearly furless body. Duststripe was nearby with his mate. Lightberry suckling two kits. They spoke quietly, sorrow in their eyes.

"Where's Sparrow?" Petalstar asked, suddenly remembering that the kit was dead. No wonder they were sad. But at least no other kits had died.

"Among us," Raven answered quietly. "He didn't make it. Hollyleaf has him with the other kits. She wanted him distracted."

Petalstar nodded. It would be best. The hard questions would begin later when he wanted his parents.

"She's the leader now," Petalstar meowed, gazing at Cloverleaf. "Is the Moontree still there?" Crowstrike had traveled in that direction that morning in search of the smoke.

"It is there," Raven nodded.

"And the Clan, will they be able to go back to the territory?"

"In a moon or so. You'll have to tell Cloverleaf about the Moontree. She should receive her nine lives and call a deputy."

"So soon? She can't leave the Clan alone!"

"They'll be safe in the bog. They've food and shelter. It is better than the camp currently. The animals have fled there."

Slowly Petalstar nodded. "All right. But I don't think Cloverleaf will sleep. Not her. She'll be too busy."

Raven nodded. Silence fell between them and they waited on the ledge above the Lookingpool. She just wanted to be sure her Clan would survive. She didn't want them falling apart. The rogues, still knew to proper Clan life, might find it too hard trying to provide for others and go back to their solitary ways, far away in some better territory. And Cloverleaf, could the deputy really be a good leader? Petalstar had always known the tortoiseshell was quick to fight. But the Clan did need a defender and maybe a cat who wouldn't give up would help them through the fire's aftermath.

Time passed slowly as they watched the Clan. Cloverleaf, unable to sleep, had gathered the Clan together on nearby islands. There was a fresh-kill pile of animals in the bog. The younger cats were forbidden to wander. Rain fell again, cooling the ground and forest where flames still flickered. A vigil was held for the dead cats. All the time above Petalstar, the sun moved downward in the StarClan sky.

"Raven, Raven!"

The leaders and leafcats looked up. Darkfire was running through the ferns, Coonie in his wake where he'd parted the long ferns. The smell of blooming flowers came with them, and Petalstar could identify four cats she'd known in life. Three of the recently deceased.

"What happened?" the tortoiseshell tom was on his feet, concern in his orange eyes.

"Fox. He left StarClan. We were taking the new cats to the gorge between StarClan's. He sensed the border near the arching bush. He crossed over and disappeared into the unmarked territory."

The leafcats muttered, shaking their heads.

"One so knew?"

"We'll never see him again."

"Unmarked territory?" Petalstar asked.

"We only have a section of the sky," Raven quickly explained. "It is marked by us. Anything out of it is Unmarked and unpredictable. Cats can get lost there. Why did he cross over?"

"He was saying something how he didn't belong here," Coonie meowed. "That he wouldn't stay someplace his brother would come. He said it was Frog's fault he even was in StarClan, that if he's legs had worked, he could have outran the fire. So he just ran for the border and disappeared."

"Can't you get him?" Petalstar asked.

The dark brown she-cat shook her head. "Once he's there, no one knows where he's at. It's a big place out there. The only cat who's ever returned was Sunstorm. She's more adventurous than some and she crosses between StarClans."

"Then could you get her to find him?"

Raven shook his head. "We haven't seen her in moons. When she comes back we'll ask her. But by then. . . who knows what will happen to Fox. What about the others?"

"They're fine," Darkfire assured him. "The she-cats are with their mentors."

"Then we let him go. We can't hold any cat here against their will. May some unknown force be with him and keep him safe."

The leaders and leafcats agreed. Petalstar glanced at Waterdrop. The gray tom wasn't quite as perplexed as she was, but he seemed disappointed the cats wouldn't do anything. But Petalstar didn't know what they could do. Fox was lost apparently. And her Clan was in turmoil. She was torn.

Darkfire and Coonie were still talking to Raven when the red she-cat turned back to the Lookingpool. She gazed at the clear water, the images suddenly appearing. the Clan was sleeping now. Most of them still in shock from the fire. Even Cloverleaf was having trouble staying awake. Soon Petalstar would visit her. Soon the she-cat would become the leader of Summerheat.

"Cloverleaf," Petalstar meowed quietly. "I trust you. Hold our Clan together."

The sun set through the forest, the orange light slanting across the trees in an imitation of the fire that had ravished the forest below. A small beam shone on the Lookingpool, blocking Petalstar's sight, for a moment she no longer saw the bog and the cats sleeping below. The water rippled, the sun-flames dancing across the stones like a haunting memory. Suddenly a cat appeared. A tortoiseshell. For a moment Petalstar thought it was Raven. Then she recognized Cloverleaf. The flames leapt around her, but where she placed her paws, the grass grew, green and tall. The orange light faded from the water, a great forest towering about her, the ferns rustling with prey, but the vision did not end. Cloverleaf passed from Petalstar's sight, guiding the Clan behind her. Petalstar saw all those living. She saw Risingtide, Duzie, Duststripe, Lightberry, old Whitetoes, Dancingeyes, Fleet, and the others. And last of all came Amber, the little she-kit. The white and red-speckled kit paused, looked up at Petalstar and smiled.

"We'll be all right."

Petalstar blinked and in that instant Amber grew larger, became a warrior, with warrior scars. Then she too left, the vision fading around her. Yes, the Clan would survive. Summerheat would always be there. StarClan guiding it as the ages passed. The red she-cat looked up from the pool and met Waterdrop's gaze. She smiled at him and leaned against him, closing her eyes and breathing in the coming night air.

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**THE END**

**Thank you for reading and I bid you all farewell. This was my final story here. All the readers I had in the beginning have gone on to their own things and lives. It is now my turn. My thanks to all the reviewers in the past and to the readers of the future. I hoped my writing pleased you.**

**Keep writing your own stories.**


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